LINCOLN  ROOM 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


MEMORIAL 

the  Class  of  1901 

founded  by 

HARLAN  HOYT  HORNER 

and 
HENRIETTA  CALHOUN  HORNER 


Cop 


F.    L.    BATES,    Author. 


THE  ESCAPE  AND  SUICIDE 

OF 

JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH 

OR  THE  FIRST  TRUE  ACCOUNT  OF 

LINCOLN'S    ASSASSINATION 

CONTAINING 

A  COMPLETE  CONFESSION  BY  BOOTH 

MANY  YEARS  AFTER  THE  CRIME 


GIVING  IN  FULL  DETAIL  THE  PLANS,  PLOT  AND  INTRIGUE 
OF  THE  CONSPIRATORS,  AND  THE  TREACHERY 
"OF  ANDREW  JOHNSON,  THEN  VICE-PRESI- 
DENT   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES 


WRITTEN  FOR  THE  CORRECTION  OF  HISTORY 

BY 

FINIS  L.  BATES 


J.  L.  NICHOLS  &  COMPANY 

MANUFACTURING  PUBLISHERS 

NAPERVILLE,  ILL.  ATLANTA,  GA.          MEMPHIS,  TENN. 


COPYRIGHTED  AND  ALL  RIGHTS 
RESERVED  BY 

FINIS  L.  BATES, 
MEMPHIS,  TENNESSEE. 


'  ' 


DEDICATION 

To  the  Armies  and  Navies  of  the  late  Civil  War, 
fought  between  the  States  of  North  America,  from 
1861  to  1865,  this  book  is  dedicated. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE 

In  the  preparation  of  this  book  I  have  neither 
spared  time  or  money,  since  I  became  satisfied  that 
John  Wilkes  Booth  was  not  killed,  as  has  been  sup- 
posed, at  the  Garrett  home  in  Virginia,  on  the  26th 
day  of  April,  1865,  and  present  this  volume  of  col- 
lated facts,  which  I  submit  for  the  correction  of  his- 
tory, respecting  the  assassination  of  President  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  and  the  death  or  escape  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth. 

Personally,  I  know  nothing  of  President  Lincoln, 
and  knew  nothing  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  until  my 
meeting  with  John  St.  Helen,  at  my  home  in  Texas, 
in  the  year  1872. 

The  picture  which  John  St.  Helen  left  with  me 
for  the  future  identification  of  himself  in  his  true 
name  and  personality,  was  first  identified  by  Gen. 
D.  D.  Dana,  of  Lubec,  Maine,  as  John  Wilkes  Booth, 
January  17, 1898. 

The  second  time  by  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  the 
third,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  (he  being  the  oldest  living 
nephew  of  John  Wilkes  Booth),  on  the  21st  day  of 
February,  1903,  at  Memphis,  Tenn. 

The  third  time  by  the  late  Joe  Jefferson  (the 
world's  famous  Rip  Van  Winkle),  at  Memphis, 


PREFACE. 

Tennessee,  on  the  14th  day  of  April,  1903,  just  thir- 
ty-eight years  to  a  day  from  the  date  of  the  assassina- 
tion of  President  Lincoln.  I  here  make  mention  of 
this  identification  because  of  its  importance.  Among 
the  personal  acquaintances  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 
none  would  know  him  better  than  Mr.  Jefferson,  who 
was  most  closely  associated  with  him  for  several 
years,  both  playing  together  on  the  same  stage.  I 
know  of  no  man  whose  knowledge  of  Booth  is  more 
to  be  trusted,  or  whose  words  of  identification  will 
carry  more  weight  to  the  world  at  large.  While 
there  are  many  other  important  personages  equally 
to  be  relied  upon  that  have  identified  his  pictures 
there  is  none  other  so  well  known  to  the  general 
public,  having  identified  the  picture  taken  of  John 
St.  Helen,  in  1877,  as  being  that  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth — thus  establishing  the  fa«t  of  actual  physical 
proof  that  John  Wilkes  Booth  was  living  in  1872, 
when  I  met  him  under  the  name  of  John  St.  Helen, 
as  also  when  he  had  his  picture  taken  and  left  with 
me  in  the  late  winter  er  early  spring  of  1878,  twelve 
years  after  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln. 

It  is  well  in  this  connection  to  call  attention  to 
other  physical  proofs  of  the  identification  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth  by  referring  to  the  deformed  right 
thumb,  just  where  it  joined  the  hand,  and  the  mis- 
matched brows,  his  right  brow  being  arched  and 
unlike  the  left.  The  deformity  of  the  right 


PREFACE. 

thumb  was  caused  by  its  having  been  crushed  in 
the  cogs  of  the  machinery  used  for  the  hoisting  of  a 
stage  curtain.  The  arched  brow  was  caused  by 
Booth  being  accidentally  cut  by  McCullum  with  a 
saBre  while  they  were  at  practice  as  the  characters 
of  Richard  and  Richmond,  the  point  of  McCullum 's 
sword  cutting  a  gash  through  the  right  brow,  which 
had  to  be  stitched  up,  and  in  healing  became 
arched.  And  especially  attention  is  called  to  the 
identity  of  these  marks  in  his  pictures,  more 
particularly  the  one  at  the  age  of  64,  taken  of  him 
while  he  was  dead  and  lying  in  the  morgue.  During 
life  Booth  carried  a  small  cane  between  the  thumb 
and  forefinger  of  the  right  hand  to  conceal  that 
defect;  observe  this  cane  in  his  hand,  in  the 
picture  of  him  at  the  age  of  27.  These  physical 
marks  on  Booth's  body  settle  without  argument  his 
identity.  However,  in  all  instances  of  investigation 
I  have  sought  the  highest  sources  of  information  and 
give  the  conclusive  facts  supported  by  physical 
monument  and  authentic  record. 

Wherefore,  it  is  by  this  authority  I  state  the  veri- 
fied truth  with  impartiality  for  the  betterment  of 
history,  to  the  enlightment  of  the  present  and  future 
generations  of  mankind,  respecting  the  assassination 
of  one  of  America's  most  universally  beloved  Presi- 
dents and  the  fate  of  his  assassin. 

FINIS  L.  BATES. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PACK 

Chapter  I.  Lincoln-Booth  1 

Chapter  II.  John  St.  Helen  5 

Chapter  III.  John  St.  Helen  Lectures  Roland  Read 18 

Chapter  IV.  St.  Helen's  Illness  27 

Chapter  V.  St.  Helen's  Identity  Revealed  33 

Chapter  VI.  The  Assassination  40 

Chapter  VII.  The  Man  Killed  at  the  Garrett  Home 60 

Chapter  VIII.  The  Separation  83 

Chapter  IX.  The  Pursuit  of  Booth  92 

Chapter  X.  The  East  Potomac  Bridge 121 

Chapter  XL  The  Hand  of  Secretary  Stanton  132 

Chapter  XII.  Gen.  Dana  Identifies  Booth 168 

Chapter  XIII.  A  Baltimorean  Still  191 

Chapter  XIV.  Informing  the  War  Department  that  Booth 

Lives  205 

Chapter  XV.  Gen.  Albert  Pike  Identified  Booth 222 

Chapter  XVI.  Press  Comments  on  the  Suicide  of  David  E. 

George  243 

Chapter  XVII.  These  are  Pictures  of  John  Wilkes  Booth.  .274 
Chapter  XVIII.  Reading  the  Palm  of  John  Wilkes  Booth.. 292 
Chapter  XIX.  Joseph  Jefferson  Identifies  John  Wilkes 

Booth  299 

Chapter  XX.  Junius  Brutus  Booth  Identifies  His  Uncle, 

John  Wilkes  Booth   .  ..304 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

F.  L.  Bates Frontispiece 

John  Wilkes  Booth  (age  27) 0-1 

Abraham  Lincoln 0-1 

Booth's  Bed  Confession 32-33 

Complete  Confession  to  Mr.  Bates 32-33 

Andrew  Johnson 42-43 

Jefferson  Davis 42-43 

Ford's  Theater 46-47 

Fleeing  on  Horseback 46-47 

Dr.  Stewart's  Summer  Home 56-57 

The  Home  of  Mr.  Jones 56-57 

Booth  Disguised  as  Teamster 56-57 

Booth  and  his  Horse  Tired  Out 56-57 

Gen.  D.  D.  Dana 92-93 

The  Surratt  Tavern 92-93 

Gen.  C.  C.  Augur 120-121 

Mrs.  Surratt 120-121 

David  E.  Herold 162-163 

Bryantown 162-163 

Gen.  Lew  Wallace 172-173 

Edwin  Booth. 172-173 

Home  of  Dr.  Mudd 188-189 

Riding  Boot  of  Booth 188-189 

Clara  Morris,  Actress 196-197 

Joseph  Jefferson,  the  Actor 196-197 

John  Wilkes  Booth  (age  38) 202-203 

Junius  Brutus  Booth,  the  First 202-203 

Gen.  Albert  Pike 222-223 

Booth  as  a  House-painter 222-223 

John  Wilkes  Booth  (age  64) 276-277 

The  Mummified  Hand  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 276-277 


JOHN   WILKES   BOOTH. 

Aged    27,    Taken    Just    Before    the    Assassination    of    Lincoln, 
and   Cane   Which   Was   Carried    to   Conceal    Deformed    Thumb. 


PRESIDENT   ABRAHAM   LINCOLN. 

Holding    the     Proclamation    of     Emancipation,     and     the    Log 
Cabin    Near   Salem,    Kentucky,    Where    HP    Was   Born. 


AND 

JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH,  THE  ACTOR. 


THE  ASSASSINATION'  OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN 
BY  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

LINCOLN— BOOTH 

President  Abraham  Lincoln  was  born  near  Salem, 
Kentucky,  United  States  of  America,  in  a  log  cabin, 
on  the  12th  day  of  February,  1809,  of  humble  par- 
entage, and  was  president  of  the  Northern  Federal 
States  of  America,  after  the  secession  of  the  South- 
ern States,  beginning  March  4th,  1861,  whereby  was 
brought  about  a  temporary  dissolution  of  the  Union 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  when  the  political 
issues  of  the  rights  of  States  to  withdraw  and  secede 
from  the  Union  of  States  and  the  constitutional  right 


LINCOLN— BOOTH. 

slavery  of  the  black  race,  as  had  been  promulgated 
since,  before  and  beginning  with  the  independence 
of,  and  federation  of  the  American  Colonies ;  after- 
ward transformed  into  sovereign  State  governments. 

"When,  for  the  settlement  of  these  issues  appeal 
was  had  to  the  bloody  arbitrament  of  battle,  in  the 
Civil  War  fought  between  the  Federal  States  on  the 
one  side,  with  Abraham  Lincoln  as  President  and 
commander-in-chief  of  the  Federal  Army  and  Navy, 
with  his  site  of  government  at  Washington,  D.  C., 
and  Jefferson  Davis,  President  of  the  Southern 
seceded  States,  called  the  Confederate  States  of 
America,  and  commander-in-ehief  of  the  Army  and 
Navy  of  the  Southern  Confederate  States,  with  his 
site  of  government  at  the  city  of  Richmond,  and 
capital  of  the  State  of  Virginia,  situated  approxi- 
mately one  hundred  miles  to  the  south  from  Wash- 
ington City. 

Mr.  Lincoln  was  inaugurated  President  of  the 
Federal  States,  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  March  4th, 
1861,  and  remained  President  until  he  received  his 
mortal  wound  at  the  hands  of  his  assassin,  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  while  seated  with  a  party  of  friends 
in  a  private  box  attending  Ford's  Theater,  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  on  the  evening  of  the  14th  day  of 
April,  1865,  and  died  from  his  wound  on  the  early 
morning  of  April  the  15th,  1865. 


LINCOLN— BOOTH. 

Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  lawyer  pre-eminent  in  his  pro- 
fession, and  had  never  associated  himself  with  any 
church  organization,  and,  in  fact,  was  a  deist,  as 
also  a  firm  believer  in  dreams,  and  to  him  they  were 
presentiments  forecasting  coming  events. 

John  Wilkes  Booth  was  born  near  the  city  of  Bal- 
timore, on  a  farm,  in  the  State  of  Maryland,  in  the 
year  1838,  and  was  at  the  time  of  the  assassination 
of  President  Lincoln  about  27  years  of  age,  and 
famous  as  an  actor.  He  came  from  a  family  distin- 
guished as  actors  and  politicians  in  England  as  early 
as  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries,  being 
descended  from  Burton  Booth,  the  most  popular 
actor  with  the  English  royalty  known  to  history,  and 
pronounced  of  all  actors  the  greatest  Macbeth  the 
world  has  ever  produced. 

Henry  Booth,  Earl  of  Warrington,  was  his  great- 
great-uncle,  and  John  Wilkes,  the  Democratic  re- 
former, in  that  he  caused  the  extension  of  the  fran- 
chise or  right  of  ballot,  to  the  common  people  of 
England,  and  who  was  at  one  time  Lord  Mayor  of 
London,  was  his  great-great-grandfather  on  his  great- 
grandmother's  side.  While  John  Wilkes  of  England 
was  distinguished  for  his  great  mental  ability,  he 
was  equally  distinguished  for  being  the  ugliest  man 
in  all  England,  while  his  wife  was  the  most  beau- 
tiful woman  England  had  produced  to  her  day. 


LINCOLN— BOOTH. 

John  Wilkes  Booth  gets  his  name  of  John  Wilkes 
from  his  great-great-grandfather,  and  his  strikingly 
handsome  personality  from  his  great-great-grand- 
mother. Thus  it  is  said  that  John  Wilkes  Booth 
is  given  to  the  world  from  an  ancestry  known  to 
England  in  their  day  as  the  Beauty  and  Beast. 

John  Wilkes  Booth  was  a  partisan  in  his  sympa- 
thies for  the  success  of  the  Southern  Confederate 
States  in  the  Civil  War,  bold  and  outspoken  in  his 
friendship  for  the  South  and  his  well  wishes  for  the 
triumph  of  the  Southern  cause.  In  politics  a  Demo- 
crat, and  by  religion  a  Catholic,  and  a  son  of  Junius 
Brutus  Booth,  the  first,  who  was  known  to  all  men 
of  his  day  as  the  master  of  the  art  of  dramatic  act- 
ing, being  himself  descended  from  the  Booth  fam- 
ily of  actors  in  England,  pre-eminently  great  as 
tragedians  since  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. 


CHAPTER  II. 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN 

I  have  long  hesitated  to  give  to  the  world  the  true 
story  of  the  plot  first  to  kidnap  and  finally  assassi- 
nate President  Lincoln  by  John  Wilkes  Booth  and 
others,  as  related  to  me  in  1872,  and  at  other  times 
thereafter,  by  one  then  known  to  me  as  John  St. 
Helen,  but  in  truth  and  in  fact,  as  afterward  devel- 
oped, John  Wilkes  Booth  himself,  in  person  telling 
this  story  more  than  seven  years  after  the  assassina- 
tion of  President  Lincoln,  and  the  supposed  killing 
of  Booth  at  the  Garret  home,  in  Virginia.  Far  re- 
moved from  the  scene  of  his  crime,  he  told  me  the 
tale  of  his  dastardly  deed  at  Grandberry,  Hood 
county,  Texas,  a  then  comparative  frontier  town  of 
the  great  Western  empire  of  these  American  States. 

This  story  I  could  not  accept  as  a  fact  without 
investigation,  believing,  as  the  world  believed,  that 
John  Wilkes  Booth  had  been  killed  at  the  Garret 
home  in  Virginia  on  or  about  the  26th  day  of  April, 
1865,  by  one  Boston  Corbett,  connected  with  the 
Federal  troops  in  pursuit  of  him,  after  he  (Booth) 
had  been  passed  through  the  Federal  military  lines 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

which  formed  a  complete  cordon  surrounding  the 
City  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  on  the  night  of  and  after 
the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln.  But  after 
many  years  of  painstaking  and  exhaustive  investiga- 
tion, I  am  now  unwillingly,  and  yet  unanswerably, 
convinced  that  it  is  a  fact  that  Booth  was  not  killed, 
but  made  good  his  escape  by  the  assistance  of  some 
of  the  officers  of  the  Federal  Army  and  government 
of  the  United  States,  located  at  Washington — trait- 
ors to  President  Lincoln,  in  whose  keeping  was  his 
life — co-operating  with  Capt.  Jett  and  Lieuts.  Rug- 
gles  and  Bainbridge,  of  the  Confederate  troops,  be- 
longing to  the  command  of  Col.  J.  S.  Mosby,  en- 
camped at  Bowling  Green,  Virginia.  And  the  correct- 
ness of  these  statements,  as  well  as  to  my  convictions, 
the  readers  of  this  story  must  witness  for  or  against 
the  conclusion  reached,  for  it  is  to  the  American 
people  that  I  appeal  that  they  shall  hear  the  unal- 
terable facts  to  the  end  that  they  may  bear  testimony 
with  me  to  the  civilized  world  that  the  death  of 
America's  martyred  President,  Lincoln,  was  not 
avenged,  as  we  have  been  persuaded  to  believe,  and 
that  it  remained  the  pleasure  of  the  assassin  to  take 
his  own  life  as  how  and  when  it  best  pleased  him, 
conscious  of  his  great  individual  crime  and  the 
nation's  loss  by  the  death  of  President  Lincoln,  the 
commission  of  which  crime  takes  rank  among  the 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

epochs  of  time  equaled  only  by-  the  crucifixion  of 
Christ  and  the  assassination  of  Caesar;  in  the  con- 
templation of  which  the  physical  man  chills  with  in- 
dignant emotions  and  the  cold  blood  coursing  his 
viens  makes  numb  the  fingers  recording  the  crime 
that  laid  President  Lincoln  in  the  silent  halls  of 
death  and  made  Tad  fatherless.  But  the  truth  will 
be  told,  if  needs  be,  with  tremors  and  palsied  hands, 
in  the  triumph  of  right  and  the  exposure  of  the 
guilty  ones  whose  crimes  blacken  history's  page  and 
to  associate  their  names  through  all  coming  cen- 
turies with  Brutus,  Marc  Antony  and  Judas  Iscariot, 
if  they  are  to  be  condemned  in  the  story  that  is  to  be 
told. 

In  the  spring  of  1872  I  was  entering  the  threshold 
of  manhood,  a  lawyer  yet  in  my  teens,  in  the  active 
practice  of  my  profession,  having  settled  at  Grand- 
berry,  the  county  site  of  Hood  county,  in  the  State 
of  Texas,  near  the  foothills  of  the  Bosque  moun- 
tains. Among  my  first  elients  in  this  locality  was  a 
man  who  had  been  indicted  by  the  grand  jury  of  the 
Federal  Court,  sitting  at  Tyler,  Smith  county,  Texas, 
for  selling  tobacco  and  whiskey  at  Glenrose  Mills, 
situated  in  Hood  county,  twenty  miles  to  the  south- 
west of  Grandberry,  who  had  failed  first  to  obtain 
a  license,  as  required  by  the  Federal  statutes,  as  a 
privilege  for  carrying  on  such  business.  The  penalty 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

for  the  violation  of  this  law  being  punishable  as  a 
misdemeanor  by  a  fine  and  imprisonment,  or  either 
fine  or  imprisonment,  at  the  discretion  of  the  court. 
Hood  county  at  this  time  was  well  out  on  the  fron- 
tier of  the  State,  and  the  country  to  within  a  few 
miles  of  Grandberry  was  frequently  raided  by  the 
savage  Comanche  Indians. 

Glenrose  Mills  was  located  immediately  on  the 
Bosque  river,  which  flows  at  the  base  of  the  Bosque 
mountains,  while  at  this  point  on  the  river  was  lo- 
cated a  mill  run  by  water  power  from  the  falls  of 
the  river,  and  on  the  bank  of  the  river  were  located 
two  or  three  small  log  houses,  together  with  the 
old  mill  house  constituting  the  buildings  of  the  place 
called  Glenrose  Mills.  One  of  these  log  houses  was 
used  as  a  storehouse  by  the  man  known  to  me  as 
John  St.  Helen,  which  place,  or  house,  however,  for 
a  year  or  so  prior  to  St.  Helen's  occupancy  had 
been  occupied  as  a  store  by  a  merchant  doing  a  gen- 
eral mercantile  business,  in  a  small  way,  carrying 
with  his  line  of  goods  tobacco  and  whiskey  for  the 
retail  trade,  as  did  St.  Helen  in  this  place,  as  his 
successor  in  business  at  Glenrose  Mills.  The  former 
merchant  having  removed  from  Glenrose  Mills  to 
Grandberry,  opened  up  his  business  in  the  latter 
place  before  and  continued  his  business  in  Grand- 
berry  after  St.  Helen  had  begun  business  at  Glen- 


JOHN   ST.  HELEN. 

rose.  St.  Helen  occupied  this  log  house  not  only  as 
a  store,  but  the  back  part  of  the  same  as  living  apart- 
ments for  himself  and  a  negro  man  servant,  or  por- 
ter, he  having  no  family  or  known  relatives  or  inti- 
mate friends  within  the  time  he  was  doing  business 
at  this  house  in  Glenrose.  For  some  reason  unknown 
to  me  and  my  client,  the  merchant  at  Grandberry 
and  former  merchant  at  Glenrose  had  been  indicted 
for  having  done  business  at  Glenrose — selling  tobac- 
co and  whiskey  in  the  house  occupied  by  St.  Helen, 
in  violation  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  as 
mentioned.  This  client  had  been  arrested  by  the 
United  States  marshal  and  had  given  bond  for  his 
appearance  at  Tyler,  Texas,  to  answer  the  United 
States  government  on  a  charge  in  two  cases  of  sell- 
ing tobacco  and  whiskey  without  first  obtaining  a 
privilege  license,  as  required  by  law. 

On  ascertaining  this  state  of  facts,  I  sought  St. 
Helen,  with  whom  I  had  at  this  time  only  a  casual 
acquaintance,  and  learned  from  him  that  he  (St. 
Helen)  was  as  a  matter  of  fact  doing  business  at 
Glenrose  Mills,  in  the  house  formerly  occupied  by 
my  client,  the  then  merchant  of  Grandberry,  who 
had  been  doing  business  at  this  stand,  selling,  among 
other  articles  of  merchandise,  tobacco  and  whiskey, 
and  that  he  had  done  so  without  a  license,  as  re- 
quired by  the  government  of  the  United  States,  and 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

was  so  doing  this  business  at  the  time,  as  alleged  in 
the  indictment  against  the  Grandberry  merchant,  so 
that  I  insisted,  as  a  means  of  protection  to  my  client, 
that  St.  Helen  should  attend  the  Federal  Court  as  a 
witness  for  the  defendant,  to  testify  to  this  state  of 
facts,  showing  that  the  defendant  merchant  had  been 
wrongfully  indicted,  confessedly  so  by  St.  Helen, 
who  was  at  this  time  doing  the  very  business  ol 
which  my  client  was  charged,  without  first  having  a 
license  (for  which  my  client  had  been  indicted),  and 
for  which  he  was  to  stand  trial  in  a  short  time 
before  the  Federal  Court  at  Tyler.  While  St.  Helen 
admitted  his  guilt  and  the  innocence  of  my  client, 
he  declined  to  attend  the  court  in  any  capacity  on 
behalf  of  my  client,  without  at  this  time  giving  to 
me  any  satisfactory  reason  as  to  why  he  would  not 
do  so,  and  when  he  was  informed  with  more  earn- 
estness than  was  reasonably  polite  that  any  and  all 
the  known  processes  of  the  law  of  the  Federal  Court 
would  be  called  into  requisition  to  compel  hia  it- 
tendance  on  the  court,  as  he  had  been  requested  to 
do,  and  if  need  be  witnesses  would  go  before  the 
Federal  grand  jury  to  have  him  indicted  for  the 
offense  with  which  my  client  was  wrongfully 
charged.  St.  Helen  asked  time  to  consider  the  mat- 
ter, promising  to  act  honorably  in  the  affair,  to  the 
complete  protection  of  the  wronged  man,  conditioned 

10 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

that  he  (St.  Helen)  should  be  protected  from  indict- 
ment and  from  any  other  process  which  would  carry 
him  before  the  Federal  Court.  With  this  agree- 
ment we  separated  for  the  few  intervening  days 
requested  by  him. 

At  thu  interview  it  was  plainly  to  be  seen  that 
St.  Helen  was  sorely  troubled  and  seemed  to  think 
his  final  determination  in  the  matter  would  be 
fraught  with  the  greatest  consequences  to  himself, 
much  more,  I  thought,  than  was  due  to  the  appre- 
hension of  a  possible  conviction  for  the  charges  al- 
leged against  my  client.  But  upon  consideration 
of  the  matter  I  was  led  to  the  conclusion  that  his 
restless  and  uneasy  manner  was  due  to  his  long 
outdoor  life  on  the  plains,  and  that  by  force  of  habit 
he  had  acquired  that  restless  and  hunted,  worried 
expression  constantly  on  his  face,  while  the  flashes 
which  came  from  his  keen,  penetrating  black  eyes 
spoke  of  desperation  and  capacity  for  crime.  All 
this  time  his  breath  came  hard,  almost  to  a  wheeze, 
superinduced  by  excitement,  or  what  seemed  to  be 
a  disease,  possibly  produced  by  exposure  and  bor- 
dering upon  a  bronchial  or  an  asthmatic  affliction 
of  the  throat  and  chest.  Thus  looking  and  breath- 
ing, with  his  body  poised  in  easy,  graceful  attitude, 
as  if  so  by  nature  born,  in  his  leave-taking  to  me  he 
raised  his  hand  in  slow  and  graceful  manner,  say- 
ing: 

11 


JOHN   ST.  HELEN. 

"As  I  agree,  I  shall  see  you,  and  of  my  purpose 
and  destiny  speak — until  then " 

The  words  "until  then,"  spoken  with  a  soft  voice 
and  gentle  tone,  was  a  pleasant  adieu,  in  fact,  the 
entire  sentence  having  been  said,  and  I  should  say, 
dramatically  acted  in  eloquence  by  word,  motion  of 
the  body,  jesticulation  of  the  hand  and  utterance  of 
the  voice,  not  before  or  since  equalled  by  any  other 
person  in  my  presence  or  experience.  These  ex- 
pressions by  word,  voice  and  mannerism  to  me 
were  food  for  thought,  suggesting  the  inquiry 
whence  came  such  a  man?  Who  can  this  handsome 
man,  this  violent  man,  this  soft-mannered  man,  this 
eloquent  man,  be?  Unsuited  to  his  vocation — the 
would-be  merchant,  in  his  log  cabin  store,  and  his 
life  of  seclusion  in  the  wilds  of  the  West.  As  in  all 
things,  came  the  day  of  final  reckoning,  and  St. 
Helen  walked  into  my  office  calling  me  to  the  pri- 
vate consultation  room,  turning  and  shutting  the 
door,  he  said: 

"I  come  redeeming  my  pledge,  and  have  to  say, 
first,  that  I  desire  to  retain  you  as  my  attorney ;  that 
you  may  represent  me  in  all  matters  of  legal  business 
concerning  my  affairs,  and  ask  that  you  fix  your 
reasonable  retainer  fee." 

This  I  did,  and  when  satisfactorily  arranged  St. 
Helen  resumed  his  statement  by  saying: 

12 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

"Now,  that  I  have  employed . you  and  paid  your 
retainer  fee,  you,  as  my  lawyer,  will  and  must  keep 
secret  such  matters  as  I  shall  confide  in  you  touch- 
ing my  legal  interest  and  personal  safety,  and  the 
prevention  of  my  prosecution  by  the  courts  for  the 
matters  we  are  now  considering  or  that  might  here- 
after arise  in  consequence  of  your  present  employ- 
ment, conditioned,  of  course,  upon  my  making  good 
to  you  the  promises  I  have  made." 

To  which  I  replied:  "Yes.  I  understand." 
"Well,  then,"  continued  St.  Helen.  "I  say  to 
you,  as  my  attorney,  that  my  true  name  is  not  John 
St.  Helen,  as  you  know  me  and  suppose  me  to  be,  and 
for  this  reason  I  cannot  afford  to  go  to  Tyler  before 
the  Federal  Court,  in  fear  that  my  true  identity  be 
discovered,  as  the  Federal  courts  are  more  or  less 
presided  over  in  the  South  and  officered  by  persons 
heretofore,  as  well  as  now,  connected  with  the  Fed- 
eral Army  and  government,  and  the  risk  would  be 
too  great  for  me  to  take,  and  you  will  now  under- 
stand why  I  have  retained  you  as  my  counsel,  and 
as  such  I  ask  that  you  take  your  client,  indicted  in 
the  Federal  Court  at  Tyler,  and  get  him  clear  of  this 
charge,  of  which  he  is  certainly  not  guilty,  using 
your  best  judgment  in  his  behalf  and  for  my  protec- 
tion. For  this  service  I  will  pay  your  fee  and  all 
costs  incident  to  the  trial  and  trip." 

13 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

Assenting  to  this,  and  accepting  his  suggestion  as 
well  as  the  employment  by  St.  Helen,  I  set  about 
fully  planning  the  management  of  my  client's  case 
in  the  Federal  Court  with  the  purpose  in  view  of  a 
mutual  protection  of  my  client  and  John  St.  Helen. 
When  after  a  few  days  of  consultation  and  prepara- 
tion my  client  and  I  were  ready  for  the  three  or  four 
days'  drive  by  private  conveyance  from  Grandbeny 
to  Tyler,  St.  Helen  was  notified  and  came  promptly 
to  my  office  the  morning  fixed  for  our  leaving,  and 
without  further  ceremony  or  discussion,  handed  me 
a  large,  long,  red  morocco  pocketbook  well  filled 
with  currency  bills,  saying  that  the  amount  it  con- 
tained would  be  sufficient  money  for  the  trip,  etc. 
The  amount  contained  in  this  purse  I  never  knew. 
Then,  in  complete  readiness,  my  client  and  I,  taking 
leave  of  our  friends  and  thanking  St.  Helen,  climbed 
into  our  buggy  and  were  off  for  Tyler.  After  an 
uneventful  trip  we  reached  the  hotel  at  Tyler  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  out,  to  find  the  Fed- 
eral Court  in  session,  and  after  a  night's  rest  I 
sought  an  interview  with  Col.  Jack  Evans,  the  then 
United  States  district  attorney  for  the  Eastern  dis- 
trict of  Texas,  including  Tyler,  in  Smith  county.  At 
this  pleasant,  courteous  consultation  an  agreement 
was  reached  by  which  the  government  was  to  waive 
the  presence  of  the  defendant  in  court,  who  was  yet 

14 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

at  the  hotel,  ignorant  of  what  was  transpiring,  and 
on  the  following  morning  after  the  convening  of 
court  I  entered  pleas  of  guilty,  as  prearranged  with 
Col.  Evans,  when  the  court,  Judge  Roberts  presiding, 
fined  the  defendant  the  usual  fine  in  such  cases  and 
taxed  him  with  the  costs,  amounting,  as  I  now  re- 
member, to  about  sixty-five  dollars  in  each  case. 
The  fine  and  costs  were  promptly  paid  by  me  from 
the  funds  provided  by  St.  Helen,  for  which  receipts 
were  taken  as  vouchers. 

After  the  close  and  settling  of  these  cases  I  re- 
turned to  the  hotel  and  informed  my  grateful  and 
surprised  client  of  the  happy  culmination  of  his 
long-dreaded  trial  in  the  Federal  Court  for  a  crime 
of  which  he  was  not  guilty.  The  processes  of  this 
court  struck  terror  into  the  heart  of  the  average 
frontiersman  when  their  charges  constituted  a  crime 
against  the  laws  of  the  United  States  government. 

I  accepted  the  many  marks  of  appreciation  by 
word  and  act  manifested  by  my  client,  which  for  the 
.sake  of  personal  allusion  must  be  omitted.  Suffice 
it  to  say,  our  purpose  having  been  accomplished,  our 
team  was  ordered,  bills  paid,  as  the  beginning  of  the 
end  of  our  stay  in  Tyler,  and  at  the  moment  of  our 
readiness  re-entering  our  buggy,  we  were  soon  home- 
ward bound  full  of  hope  for  the  future,  made  buoy- 
ant by  success.  "While  my  thoughts  and  plans  for 

15 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN. 

all  time  were  lined  with  rose-tinted  clouds,  the 
phantoms  of  vision,  the  treacherous  shadows  which 
light  the  pathway  of  all  youth,  but  how  too  soon  to 
be  transformed  to  the  black  storm  cloud  of  real  life, 
flashing  with  the  lightnings  of  despair,  with  low- 
muttering  thunders,  the  signals  of  evils  yet  to  come. 
But  on  we  pushed,  unmindful  and  careless  of  what 
the  future  should  disclose,  reaching  Grandberry  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  out  from  Tyler,  when, 
with  mutual  good  wishes  and  congratulations,  my 
client  and  I  separated  to  go  to  our  homes,  seeking 
the  needed  mental  and  physical  rest  from  a  trip  the 
memory  of  which  lives  to  mark  an  interesting  event 
in  my  life  and  the  foundation  of  a  story  in  fact,  the 
relation  of  which  beggars  fiction. 

Then,  just  as  twilight  was  being  clasped  into  the 
folds  of  night  by  the  stars  of  a  cloudless  sky,  I 
sought  seclusion  while  the  world  paused,  lapped  in 
the  universal  laws  of  rest,  and  entered  dreamland 
on  that  bark  of  sleep,  the  sister  ship  of  death,  pil- 
lowed within  the  rainbow  of  hope,  a  fancy  fed  by 
the  air  castles  of  youth.  Thus  sleeping  and  thus 
waking  the  morning  came,  when  I  must  needs  take 
up  the  routine  business  of  life  again,  and  to  learn 
much  more  of  John  St.  Helen,  who  came  into  town. 
When  he  called  at  my  office  and  I  recounted  to  him 
the  successful  termination  of  the  cases  in  the  Federal 

16 


JOHN  ST.  BSLEN. 

Court  at  Tyler,  St.  Helen  became  profuse  in  his  com- 
pliments and  congratulations,  when  his  pocketbook, 
which  had  previously  contained  approximately  three 
or  four  hundred  dollars,  with  its  contents,  less  ex- 
penses and  costs  of  said  suits,  was  handed  him.  He 
took  from  it  the  necessary  amount  to  pay  the  re- 
mainder of  my  fee.  This  having  been  done,  St. 
Helen  and  I  separated  with  at  least  seeming  friend- 
ship welded  by  the  bonds  of  mutual  triumph;  so 
that  thus  ended,  for  the  present,  the  beginning  of  my 
acquaintance  with  John  St.  Helen,  of  whom  I 
but  little  for  the  several  months  following. 


IT 


CHAPTER  III. 

JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND 
REED 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  June  following  my  trip  to 
Tyler,  St.  Helen  came  into  my  office  and  extended  to 
me  an  invitation  to  attend,  as  the  orator  of  the  day, 
a  barbecue  to  be  given  on  the  4th  of  July  at  Glen- 
rose  Mills.  Having  accepted  this  invitation,  in  com- 
pany with  Gen.  J.  M.  Taylor,  made  famous  by  his 
achievements  in  the  Seminole  Indian  war  in  the 
State  of  Florida,  and  for  many  years  an  honored 
and  useful  citizen  of  the  State  of  Texas,  I  attended 
this  patriotic  celebration.  And  I  here  make  mention 
of  Gen.  J.  M.  Taylor  as  a  tribute  to  his  memory  for 
the  public  services  he  has  performed  as  well  as  his 
loyal  friendship  to  me.  And  I  in  benedictions  be- 
speak the  repose  of  his  soul  in  peace,  long  since  left 
its  tenement  of  clay. 

Arriving  at  Glenrose  on  the  forenoon  of  the  day 
appointed,  we  were  met  by  St.  Helen,  the  master  of 
ceremonies  on  this  occasion,  and  taken  to  his  private 
apartments  in  the  log  storehouse,  which  had  been 
put  in  readiness  for  the  royal  reception  accorded  us. 

18 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND  REED. 

With  his  servants  in  waiting  all  were  attentive, 
while  St.  Helen  entertained  us  with  a  lavish  hand  in 
princely  welcome  in  that  manner  peculiarly  his  own. 
When  I  turned  to  view  the  platform  and  plot  of 
ground  made  ready  for  the  day,  and  the  people  as 
they  were  gathering  from  beyond  the  Bosque  river, 
I  saw  the  ideal  location  for  the  barbecue,  within  the 
shade  of  the  wide-spreading  water  oaks  in  the  nar- 
row Bosque  valley.  And  while  thus  taking  in  the 
situation,  at  the  suggestion  of  Gen.  Taylor,  the  Gen- 
eral, St.  Helen  and  myself  left  for  the  grounds.  Aa 
we  stepped  upon  the  platform  I  was  greatly  sur- 
prised at  the  stage  presence  and  consummate  ease  of 
manner  and  reassuring  appearance  of  St.  Helen,  who 
was  easily  the  center  of  attraction,  and  the  com- 
manding personality  present.  Gen.  Taylor  and  I 
seated  ourselves,  while  St.  Helen  remained  standing. 
The  people  hurriedly  gathered,  giving  us  a  hearty 
reception.  Order  being  restored,  St.  Helen,  posing 
gracefully,  caused  a  hush  of  silence,  and  by  a  look 
of  invitation  called  me  to  his  side.  Standing  thus 
beside  him  to  the  front  of  the  platform  he,  in  hi* 
inimical  manner,  in  his  full,  clear  voice,  with  choice 
and  eloquent  language,  introduced  me  as  the 
first  speaker,  as  he  did  subsequently  introduce 
Gen.  Taylor  as  the  second  speaker.  On  the  close 
of  the  speeches  made  by  Gen.  Taylor  and  myself,  St. 

19 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND  REED. 

Helen,  in  a  short,  eloquent  and  timely  speech,  com- 
pletely captivated  the  crowd,  as  well  as  ourselves, 
by  his  pre-eminent  superiority  over  those  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact  during  the  day. 

St.  Helen's  complete  knowledge  of  elocution,  ease 
and  grace  of  person,  together  with  his  chaste  and 
eloquent  diction,  seemed  to  be  nature's  gift  rather 
than  studied  effort.  It  was  but  natural  then  that 
on  the  lips  and  in  the  minds  of  all  present  the  inquiry 
should  be,  Who  can  this  man  St.  Helen  be?  He  be- 
ing, in  fact,  a  stranger  to  those  present,  who  only 
casually  knew  him  in  this  gathering,  and  without 
kith  or  kin  so  far  as  any  one  present  knew,  made 
the  people  more  anxious  to  learn  the  identity  of  the 
man;  an  orator  of  the  highest  class,  while  the  men 
and  women  lingered  at  Glenrose  in  the  presence  of 
St.  Helen  until  the  dying  day  cast  its  shadows  upon 
Bosque's  lofty  tops  and  darkness  was  weaving  the 
mantle  of  night  over  valleys  below.  Then  congratu- 
lations, thank  yous,  glad  to  have  met  you  and  good 
byes  were  said. 

At  this  parting  Gen.  Taylor  and  I  left  for  our 
homes  after  a  delightful  day  fraught  with  interest 
and  events  long  to  be  pleasantly  remembered  by  all 
in  attendance,  and  to  me  it  marked  the  beginning  of 
a  better  knowledge  of  the  character  of  and  a  closer 
personal  relation  with  John  St.  Helen,  whose  phy- 

20 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND  REED. 

sical  beauty,  so  to  speak,  and  mental  attainments  no 
man  could  fail  to  appreciate  and  no  woman  fail  to 
admire. 

St.  Ifelen,  the  man  who  entertained  you  to  mirth 
or  to  tears,  as  his  own  mood  might  inspire,  while  he 
himself  stood  unmoved  by  the  emotions  displayed 
around  him — the  man  kind  of  disposition,  careless 
of  self,  thoughtful  of  others,  but  living  his  own  life 
in  soliloquy,  revelling  in  the  thoughts  of  the  master 
minds  of  the  past.  His  selections  and  recitations 
were  grandly  and  elegantly  delivered,  and  despite 
your  efforts  your  soul  would  be  shaken  and  from 
the  eyes  tracing  tears  would  steal  like  dew  drops 
cast  from  a  shaken  reed.  Painful?  No.  Un- 
pleasant ?  No.  But  rather  resembling  a  sorrow  as  a 
"mist  resembles  rain" — a  sigh  of  hope,  a  tear  of 
sympathy,  or  rather  an  exalted  thought  given  ex- 
pression to  by  a  tear,  the  index  to  the  feeling  of  the 
soul.  St.  Helen  himself  said  he  could  not  weep, 
though  grief  he  knew  to  its  bitterest  depth,  and 
lived  a  life  bent  with  the  burden  of  crime.  These 
and  kindred  utterances  made  to  me  in  private,  in 
hours  spent  alone  with  him,  aroused  in  me  an 
anxious  desire  to  know  in  very  fact  who  he  was. 
He  told  me  his  true  name  was  not  St.  Helen,  and  the 
ascertaining  of  more  definite  information  as  to  his 
true  name  was  made  unusually  difficult  by  reason 

21 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND  REED. 

of  his  sensitiveness  to  the  mention  of  all  subjects 
pertaining  to  himself,  in  the  various  conversations 
had  between  St.  Helen  and  myself  before  he  removed 
with  his  business  from  Glenrose  Mills  to  Grandberry, 
sometime  in  October  following  the  4th  of  July  barbe- 
cue mentioned. 

St.  Helen's  business  did  not  seem  to  be  a  matter 
of  necessity  with  him,  as  he  at  all  times  appeared  to 
have  more  money  than  was  warranted  by  his  stock 
in  trade,  and  he  apparently  took  little  interest  in 
it  and  trusted  at  all  times  the  waiting  on  of  cus- 
tomers to  his  negro  or  Mexican  porter,  while  he  was 
in  fact  a  man  of  leisure,  spending  most  of  his  time 
after  his  removal  to  Grandberry  in  my  office,  read- 
ing and  entertaining  me  after  business  hours,  and 
in  our  idle  moments  in  many  other  ways,  but  his 
favorite  occupation  was  reading  Shakespeare's 
plays,  or  rather  reciting  them  as  he  alone  could  do. 
And  his  special  preference  seemed  to  be  that  of  Rich- 
ard III.  and  he  began  his  recitations,  as  I  now  re- 
member him,  by  somewhat  transposing  the  intro- 
ductory of  Richard  III.,  saying: 

"I  would  I  could  laugh  with  those  who  laugh  and 
weep  with  those  who  weep,  wet  my  eyes  with  arti- 
ficial tears  and  frame  my  face  to  all  occasions " 

following  with  much  of  the  recitation  of  Richard 
III.,  as  well  as  others  of  Shakespeare's  plays. 

22 


,     JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND  REED. 

While  these  recitations  from  Shakespeare  charmed 
the  ear  and  pleased  all  listeners,  his  rendition  of 
Tennyson's  Locksley  Hall,  once  heard  at  an  even- 
ing's entertainment,  left  an  impress  that  years  could 
never  efface. 

On  other  occasions  I  came  in  for  lessons  in  elocu- 
tion with  full  instructions  and  practical  illustrations 
in  minute  details  of  when  and  how  to  enter  upon  the 
stage  or  public  platform;  St.  Helen  giving  comical 
illustrations  himself  as  to  how  the  average  statesmen 
come  blundering  on  the  platform,  looking  for  a  seat 
they  could  not  find,  finally  falling  into  a  chair  ap- 
parently not  of  their  choice  but  by  accident,  when 
they  would  cross  their  legs,  stick  the  toes  of  their 
shoes  inward  while  trying  to  hide  their  hands  close 
down  in  their  laps  or  behind  their  seats,  or  by  clasp- 
ing them  in  front  of  themselves  and  resting  them  on 
their  crossed  and  agitated  limbs,  nervously  rolling 
one  thumb  over  the  other,  finally  collapsing  and 
wiping  the  perspiration  from  their  faces  with  undue, 
vigor  and  haste.  All  of  which  was  impersonated  by 
St.  Helen  in  such  a  realistic  manner  that  it  was  en- 
joyable to  the  extreme,  as  well  as  most  profitable  to 
me  in  after  life.  And  as  a  result  of  this  careful 
training  I  am  now  quick  to  observe  the  want  of  stage 
presence  and  lack  of  ease  of  manner  in  statesmen  on 
the  public  platform  or  persons  before  the  footlights. 

23 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND  REED. 

St.  Helen  was  not  a  man  of  classical  education, 
but  rather  a  born  rhetorician  and  elocutionist,  a 
learning  apparently  confined  to  and  obtained  from 
theatrical  plays  as  well  as  a  literature  pertaining  to 
the  stage,  evidenced  by  the  many  theatrical  periodi- 
cals or  papers  to  be  found  in  his  room.  This  inti- 
macy with  every  detail  of  theatrical  work  was  shown 
on  the  occasion  of  his  criticism  of  Roland  Reed, 
when  St.  Helen,  Reed  and  I  were  alone  together. 
Roland  Reed  in  his  boyhood  was  touring  the  country 
in  his  father's  company,  composed  practically  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reed  and  their  son,  Roland,  who  was 
starring  in  light  comedies  by  the  impersonation  of 
simple  and  frivolous  characters,  and  they  played 
two  or  three  nights  at  Grandberry,  which  perform- 
ances St.  Helen  and  I  attended  together,  and  on  the 
morning  after  the  third  night's  play  St.  Helen  re- 
quested Reed  and  myself  to  take  a  walk  with  him 
to  view  the  Brazos  river,  which  was  then  flowing 
with  torrents  of  water.  During  this  stroll  St.  Helen 
began  with  great  earnestness  to  discuss  theatrical 
subjects  with  Roland  Reed,  which  discussion  went 
into  all  essential  details  of  the  highest  class  of  act- 
ing. St.  Helen's  criticism  became  personal  to  Reed, 
pointing  out  to  him  that  in  the  impersonation  of 
certain  of  the  characters  rendered  by  him,  especially 
the  character  of  an  old  maid,  in  which,  as  I  remem- 

24 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND  REED. 

her  St.  Helen's  criticism  of  Reed,  was  of  the  greatest 
personal  severity,  and  among  other  things  he  said 
that  in  the  character  of  the  old  maid  Reed's  acting 
reminded  him  of  a  simpleton  attempting  to  imper- 
sonate the  character  and  eccentricities  of  an  idiot, 
more  appropriate  to  the  playgrounds  of  the  innocent 
and  half-witted  than  to  the  intelligent  public  before 
the  footlights,  and  suggested  that  the  artist  should 
create  the  impression  on  his  audience  that  the  actor 
by  his  superior  intelligence  was  creating  and  por- 
traying the  character  of  the  foolish  maiden,  stamping 
the  play  with  his  individuality  of  character,  and  that 
acting  the  character  in  question  without  this  was 
simply  nonsense,  which  disgusted  rather  than  pleased 
the  intelligence  of  the  ordinary  attendant  at  the 
theater,  etc. 

Though  this  criticism  was  at  times  personal  and 
severe,  it  was  done  with  an  earnestness  that  indi- 
cated that  it  was  kindly  given  and  was  seemingly 
appreciated  by  Reed,  for  I  am  sure  Reed  profited 
by  it  in  his  after  life,  as  witnessed  by  me  in  his  im- 
provement in  his  subsequent  presentation  of  this 
character,  which  brought  to  my  mind  afresh  the 
lecture  given  him  by  St.  Helen.  Could  Reed  have 
known,  as  I  afterward  knew,  that  this  lecture  given 
him  was  by  John  Wilkes  Booth,  what  a  surprise  it 
would  have  been,  and  what  an  impression  it  would 

25 


JOHN  ST.  HELEN  LECTURES  ROLAND  REED. 

have  made  upon  his  young  mind,  and  I  am  sure  Reed 
would  have  esteemed  tho  lecture  a  privilege.  In 
fact,  this  lecture  is  LI  consideration  which  but.  few 
received  at  the  hands  of  St.  Helen — John  Wilkec 
Booth. 

After  hearing  this  lecture  and  remembering  what 
St.  Helen  had  said  to  me,  that  his  name  was  not  in 
fact  St.  Helen,  the  former  purpose  of  inquiry  reas- 
serted itself  to  know  who  this  man  was.  Not  only 
was  he  an  orator,  as  I  had  found  him  at  Glenrose, 
but  again  was  he  assaying  the  role  of  critic  of  high 
class  acting,  showing  a  knowledge,  to  my  mind, 
of  a  born  genius  of  high  cultivation,  demonstrating 
St.  Helen  to  be  a  master  of  the  art  of  which  he  was 
speaking. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ST.  HELEN'S  ILLNESS 

Idle  hours  in  the  life  of  a  resident  of  a  small 
country  town  hang  heavily  and  we  are  wont  to  find 
entertainment.  Under  these  conditions  St.  Helen 
was  at  all  leisure  times  as  welcome  as  he  was  con- 
genial, so  that  when  he  was  not  at  my  office  I  would 
spend  my  leisure  time  at  his  place  of  business.  And 
now  I  recall  to  mind  one  occasion  when  I,  in  com- 
pany with  a  mutual  friend,  stepped  into  St.  Helen's 
place  of  business.  Just  as  we  entered  I  noticed  sev- 
eral cowboys,  as  they  are  called  in  Texas  parlance, 
because  they  herd  cattle,  standing  at  the  counter 
eating  and  drinking,  being  waited  on  by  the  colored 
porter.  St.  Helen  meeting  us,  stopped,  as  we  walk- 
ed in,  standing  at  the  entrance  from  the  front  and 
resting  his  right  arm  on  the  counter,  when  one  of  the 
boys  turned,  addressing  him  in  a  very  familiar  man- 
ner, saying: 

"John,  when  you  die  the  cowboys  will  build  a 
monument  to  your  memory.'* 

St.  Helen  cast  a  look  of  indignation  to  the  party 
addressing  him,  his  flashing  black  eyes  giving  full 

27 


ST.  HELEN'S  ILLNESS. 

expression  to  his  contempt  for  the  proffered  distinc- 
tion of  a  monument  by  the  cowboys.  Then  resting 
his  thin,  shapely  right  hand  on  the  corner  of  the 
counter,  standing  in  graceful  poise,  his  head  well 
poised,  his  beautiful  black,  curly  hair  flowing  back 
from  his  high  white  forehead,  holding  his  left  hand 
well  extended  in  gesticulation,  said: 

"Come  not  when  I  am  dead 
To  shed  thy  tears  around  my  head. 
Let  the  winds  weep  and  the  plover  cry, 
But  thou,  oh,  fool  man,  go  by." 

It  was  not  so  much  what  St.  Helen  said,  but  the 
manner  of  saying  and  acting  it,  and  the  voice  by 
which  it  was  said,  that  moved  man  to  emotion,  as 
would  his  recitation  of  almost  any  sentence  that  had 
in  it  a  trace  of  sentiment. 

The  simple  lines  quoted  will  find  but  little  lodg- 
ment in  the  soul  of  the  casual  reader,  but  when 
repeated  by  St.  Helen,  who  could  so  beautifully  por- 
tray each  sentence  in  all  of  its  meaning,  it  left  its 
impress  upon  the  memory  of  all  who  heard. 

Five  years  after  our  acquaintance  the  hand  of 
Time,  with  points  of  pain,  began  writing  in  deep 
lines  on  St.  Helen's  face  the  shadows  of  disease,  the 
sign  board  on  the  pathway  from  the  cradle  to  the 

28 


ST.  HELEN'S  ILLNESS. 

grave.  Emaciated,  sick  and  weak,  he  took  to  his 
bed,  confined  in  the  back  room  of  his  store,  where 
I  and  others,  with  the  aid  of  a  physician,  gave  him 
such  attentions  as  his  condition  required.  But  de- 
spite our  best  efforts  he  continued  to  grow  worse 
from  day  to  day  and  both  friends  and  physicians  lost 
hope  of  his  recovery.  When  I,  tired  and  worn  by 
my  watch  and  continued  attention  at  his  bedsido, 
sleeping  and  nursing  in  turn  with  others,  was 
aroused  about  10  o'clock  one  night  and  informed 
that  I  was  wanted  at  the  bedside  of  St.  Helen,  who 
was  supposed  to  be  in  the  last  throes  of  death.  On 
entering  the  room  I  found  the  physician  holding  St. 
Helen's  wrist  and  counting  his  faint,  infrequent 
pulse,  which  it  seemed  was  beating  his  funeral  dirge 
to  the  tomb.  The  doctor  turned  to  me  and  said: 

"St.  Helen  is  dying  and  wishes  to  speak  to  you 
alone,"  and  turning,  withdrew  from  our  presence. 

I  touched  St.  Helen,  and  after  some  effort  aroused 
a  faint  response ;  he  opened  his  eyes,  which  gave  ex- 
pression to  that  anxious  and  pleading  look  for  help 
so  often  seen  upon  the  face  of  a  dying  man  when 
we  are  least  powerful  to  assist.  I  requested  to  know 
of  what  service  I  could  be  to  him.  St.  Helen,  yet 
conscious,  but  so  weak  he  could  speak  only  in 
broken,  whispered  words,  audible  only  by  placing  the 
ear  close  to  his  mouth,  said: 

29 


ST.  HELEN'S  ILLNESS. 

"I  am  dying.  My  name  is  John  Wilkes  Booth, 
and  I  am  the  assassin  of  President  Lincoln.  Get  the 
picture  of  myself  from  under  the  pillow.  I  leave  it 
with  you  for  my  future  identification.  Notify  my 
brother  Edwin  Booth,  of  New  York  City." 

He  then  closed  his  eyes  in  seeming  rest.  I  reached 
forward  and  took  from  under  the  pillow  a  small  pic- 
ture taken  of  St.  Helen  a  short  while  before  his  sick- 
ness, while  on  a  visit  to  Glenrose  Mills,  by  a  pho- 
tographer then  tented  at  that  place,  as  I  was  after- 
wards informed. 

After  getting  the  picture  my  attention  was  turned 
to  giving  St.  Helen  relief,  if  possible,  not  at  the  time 
thinking  of  his  startling  and  important  confession. 
I  called  the  porter,  and  we  began  rubbing  his  entire 
body  with  strong  brandy  to  give  him  vitality.  He 
passed  into  a  gentle  sleep,  and  for  a  time  we  could 
not  tell  whether  it  would  be  the  final  sleep  of  death 
or  a  restful  one,  promising  future  consciousness  and 
possible  recovery.  He  lived  through  the  night,  much 
to  our  surprise  and  that  of  the  doctor,  who,  after  a 
careful  examination  of  St.  Helen's  condition,  was 
of  the  opinion  that  he  was  somewhat  improved,  but 
his  condition  continued  extremely  critical  for  sev- 
eral days,  but  the  doctor  finally  announced  that  St. 
Helen's  recovery  was  likely  and  in  the  course  of  a 
few  days  he  was  convalescent  and  by  careful  watch- 

30 


ST.  HELEN'S  ILLNESS. 

ing  he  was  brought  to  final  recovery.  But  it  was 
many  weeks  before  his  health  was  recovered.  After 
which  our  relations  became  more  intimate  and  con- 
fidential, for  St.  Helen  was  a  man  who  cherished 
gratitude. 

"We  were  alone  one  day  in  my  office.  I  remarked 
to  St.  Helen  that  he  had  passed  through  a  very 
severe  spell  of  sickness  and,  in  fact,  we  all  thought 
he  could  not  recover.  To  which  he  assented  with  a 
look  of  serious  concern,  and  fixing  his  eyes  on  my 
face,  asked: 

"Do  you  remember  anything  I  said  to  you  when  I 
was  sick?"  and  waited  with  an  anxious  look  for 
reply. 

I  said  to  him  that  I  remembered  many  things 
which  he  had  said  to  me. 

When  St.  Helen  said: 

"Then  you  have  my  life  in  your  keeping,  but, 
thank  God,  as  my  attorney." 

I  replied:  "Do  you  refer  to  what  you  said  of  your 
sweetheart  and  last  love?" 

St.  Helen  in  reply  said:  "I  have  had  a  sweetheart, 
but  no  last  love,  and  could  not,  in  my  wildest  deliri- 
um have  mentioned  a  subject  so  barren  of  concern 


ST.  HELEN'S  ILLNESS. 

to  me.  But  your  suggestion  is  a  kind  evasion  of 
what  I  did  say  to  you,  which  is  of  the  greatest  mo- 
ment to  me,  and  when  I  get  well  and  feel  like  talk- 
ing, and  you  like  listening,  I  will  tell  you  the  story 
of  my  life  and  the  history  of  the  secrecy  of  my 
name." 

"St.  Helen,  it  will  be  interesting  to  me,  at  your 
convenience,*'  I  replied. 


38 


St.   Helen  Confessing  the  First  Time  to  F.    L.   Bates  That  He 
Is    John    Wilkes    Booth. 


Booth,  Making  a  Full  Confession  of  the  Killing  of  Lincoln — 
Accusing  His  Accomplices  and  Describing  His  Escape 
to  the  Author. 


CHAPTED  V. 

ST.  HELEN'S  IDENTITY  REVEALED 

After  I  had  returned  from  an  absence  of  several 
weeks,  on  professional  business,  'St.  Helen  came  to 
my  office  and  invited  me  to  walk  with  him  to  the 
open  prairie.  We  went  out  about  half  a  mile  from 
town  and  seated  ourselves  on  some  rocks  which  had 
been  placed  in  this  open  space  under  a  large  live 
oak  tree  as  a  physical  monument  of  a  land  line  or 
corner,  a  common  custom  at  that  time  of  marking 
located  land  lines.  Seated  upon  this  mounment  we- 
had  an  elevation  comfortable  and  commanding  the 
surrounding  view.  And  St.  Helen  began  his  story 
by  saying: 

"I  have  told  you  that  my  name  is  not  St.  Helen, 
and,  in  fact,  my  name  is  John  Wilkes  Booth,  a  son 
of  the  late  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  Sr.,  the  actor,  and 
a  brother  of  Junius  Brutus  Booth  the  second  and 
Edwin  Booth  the  actor." 

At  that  time  I  think  he  mentioned  a  Dr.  Booth  as 
his  brother,  and  two  sisters  whose  names  I  cannot 
now  recall  from  his  statements  at  that  time.  That 
he  was  born  on  a  farm  in  the  State  of  Maryland,  not 
far  from  Baltimore.  That  there  was  a  young  mar- 

33 


ST.   HELEN'S   IDENTITY   REVEALED. 

ried  woman  taken  into  the  Booth  family,  or  the  the- 
atrical troupe  of  the  elder  Booth  and  known  as 
Agnes  Booth,  an  actress,  but  in  fact  she  was  not  a 
Booth  nor  related  to  them,  but  was  a  Mrs.  Agnes 
Perry,  a  Scandinavian  lady,  who  was  divorced  from 
her  husband  and  married  some  time  in  the  sixties  to 
Junius  Brutus  Booth  the  second.  And  St.  Helen 
continued  to  relate  many  other  family  affairs,  the 
publication  of  which  would  be  to  speak  of  the  pri- 
vate concerns  of  the  Booth  family,  which  I  deem  un- 
necessary to  make  public.  And  while  their  relation 
in  public  would  be  no  disparagement  to  the  ances- 
try and  relations  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  yet  it-might 
be  considered  an  abuse  of  confidence  for  me  to  do  so. 

St.  Helen  continuing,  by  reference  to  himself  as 
Booth,  said: 

' '  I  went  on  the  stage  at  about  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  had  succeeded  and  up  to  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  War  had  accumulated  about  twenty  thousand 
dollars  in  gold,  which  I  had  deposited  in  a  bank  (or 
banks)  in  Canada,  owing  to  the  uncertainty  of 
monetary  conditions  in  the  United  States  at  that 
time.  I  carried  my  money  principally  in  checks  of 
varying  amounts  to  suit  my  convenience,  issued  by 
the  banks  carrying  my  accounts,  which  checks 
were  readily  cashable  in  the  United  States  or  for- 
eign countries." 

34 


ST.   HELEN'S   IDENTITY   REVEALED. 

He  said  that  his  sympathies  during  the  war  were 
with  the  Southern  cause,  that  he  had  become  so  en- 
thusiastic in  his  loyalty  to  the  South  that  he  had  to 
a  great  extent  lost  interest  in  matters  of  the  stage 
and  had  given  but  little  time  and  attention  to  his 
professional  life  or  the  study  of  the  art  of  acting. 
That  after  the  third  year  of  the  war,  for  many 
months  prior  to  the  14th  of  April*,  1865,  he  had  de- 
termined that  he  could  best  serve  the  South 's  cause 
by  kidnaping  President  Lincoln  and  delivering  him 
over  to  the  Confederate  government  at  Richmond, 
Virginia,  to  be  held  as  a  hostage  of  war;  that  in 
preparation  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose 
he  had  spent  much  of  his  time  and  money  up  to  the 
death,  as  he  called  it,  of  President  Lincoln. 

At  this  point  St.  Helen  grew  passionate  and  full 
of  sentiment,  and  after  some  hesitation,  with  much 
force  of  expression,  said: 

"I  owe  it  to  myself,  most  of  all  to  my  mother, 
possibly  no  less  to  my  other  relations  and  the  good 
name  of  my  family,  as  well  as  to  the  memory  of  Mrs. 
Surratt,  who  was  hanged  as  a  consequence  of  my 
crime,  to  make  and  leave  behind  me  for  history 
a  full  statement  of  this  horrible  affair.  And  I  do 
desire,  in  fact,  if  it  were  possible,  to  make  known  to 
the  world  the  purpose,  as  well  as  the  motive,  which 
actuated  me  in  the  commission  of  the  crime  against 

35 


ST.  HELEN'S   IDENTITY  REVEALED. 

the  life  of  President  Lincoln.  First  of  all  I  want  to 
say  I  had  no  personal  feeling  against  President  Lin- 
coln. I  am  not  at  heart  an  assassin.  I  am  not  a 
physical  coward,  or  a  mean  man  at  heart,  which  the 
word  assassin  implies,  but  what  I  did  was  done  on 
my  part  with  purely  patriotic  motives,  believing,  as 
I  did,  and  as  I  was  persuaded  at  hat  time,  that  the 
death  of  President  Lincoln  and  the  succession  of 
Vice-President  Johnson,  a  Southern  man,  to  the 
presidency,  was  the  then  only  hope  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  South  from  misrule  and  the  confiscation 
of  the  landed  estates  of  the  individual  citizens  of  the 
Southern  Confederate  States,  who  were  loyal  to  the 
South  by  President  Lincoln  as  the  chief  executive 
of  the  United  States  and  commander-in-chief  of  the 
Army;  the  success  of  the  Federal  forces  and  the 
downfall  of  the  Confederacy  having  been  assured 
by  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee  at  Appomattox,  on  the 
9th  day  of  April,  1865,  only  five  days  before  the  final 
decision  to  take  the  life  of  President  Lincoln.  And 
I  pause  here  to  pay  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mrs. 
Surratt,  for  while  she  was  hanged  for  her  supposed 
connection  with  the  conspiracy  against  the  life  of 
President  Lincoln,  she  was  innocent,  and  knew  noth- 
ing whatever  of  the  plot  against  the  person  to  kid- 
nap, or  the  final  purpose  to  kill  the  President. 

36 


ST.   HELEN'S   IDENTITY   REVEALED. 

"It  is  true  that  I  visited  the  home  of  Mrs.  Surratt 
in  Washington;  it  is  true  I  stopped  at  the  Surratt 
tavern,  in  Surrattville,  not,  however,  because  it  was 
the  property  of  Mrs.  Surratt,  or  that  Mrs.  Surratt 
had  anything  to  do  with  my  being  at  the  tavern,  but 
because  it  was  the  best,  and  I  believe,  the  only  place 
for  the  traveling  public  to  stop,  in  the  village  of 
Surrattville.  It  is  true  that  I  was  at  the  Surratt 
home  in  Washington,  but  my  mission  there  was  to 
see  for  the  first  time,  by  letter  of  introduction, 
given  me  by  a  mutual  friend,  John  H.  Surratt,  a  son 
of  Mrs.  Surratt,  who  was  at  the  time  in  the  secret 
service  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  as  a  spy,  plying 
in  his  service  between  Richmond,  Virginia,  Washing, 
ton,  D.  C.,  New  York  City  and  Montreal,  Canada,  as 
well  as  other  points,  as  I  was  then  informed.  And  it 
was  from  John  H.  Surratt  I  desired  to  get  informa- 
tion respecting  what  was  then  called  the  under- 
ground route,  because  of  its  hidden  and  isolated 
way,  over  which  Surratt  traveled  through  the  Fed- 
eral lines  en  route  from  Richmond,  Virginia,  to 
Washington,  D.  C.,  with  the  purpose  of  perfecting  my 
plans  for  the  kidnaping  of  President  Lincoln.  This 
occurred  covering  a  time  I  should  say  from  the 
spring  to  the  late  summer  of  1864.  Prior  to  this 
time  I  did  not  personally  know,  in  fact,  not  even  by 
sight,  John  H.  Surratt,  and  was  informed  that  my 


ST.  HELEN'S  IDENTITY  REVEALED. 

only  chance  to  see  him  was  to  meet  with  him  when 
he  passed  through  Washington,  D.  C.,  when  he 
would  stop  at  his  mother's  home,  at  which  place  Mrs. 
Surratt  was  then  keeping  a  boarding  and  lodging 
house.  And  this  is  the  only  purpose  I  had  in  going 
to  Mrs.  Surratt 's  home.  Mrs.  Surratt  was  at  this 
time  old  enough  to  have  been  my  mother,  and  I  had 
only  that  casual  acquaintance  which  my  mission  to 
the  Surratt  home  had  given  me,  and  had  only  met 
her  at  intervals,  and  then  for  but  a  few  moments 
at  a  time,  covering  the  period  and  coupled  with  the 
ercumstances  which  I  have  mentioned  as  happening 
in  1864.  And  as  a  matter  of  fact  at  the  final  meet- 
ing with  John  H.  Surratt  our  interview  was  of  such 
a  nature  that  he  had  no  further  knowledge  of  or 
connection  with  any  conspiracy  to  kidnap,  or  later 
in  the  spring  of  1865,  to  take  the  life  of  the  Presi- 
dent. This  I  say  in  justice  to  John  H.  Surratt,  to 
the  end  also  that  Mrs.  Surratt  may  live  in  the  mem- 
ory of  the  civilized  people  of  the  world  as  an  inno- 
cent woman  and  without  knowledge,  guilty  or  oth- 
erwise, of  the  crime  for  which  she  was  executed  and 
whose  blood  stains  the  ermine  of  the  judges  of  the 
military  court  condemning  her  to  die.  And  could 
I  do  or  say  more  in  vindication  of  her  name  it  would 
be  gratifying,  and  would  I  had  possession  of  Ga- 
briel's horn  and  his  mythical  powers  I  would  blow 


ST.  HELEN'S  IDENTITY  REVEALED. 

one  blast  to  wake  the  sleeping  dead  that  this  inno- 
cent woman  might  walk  from  the  portals  of  the 
house  of  death." 

To  say  that  my  breath  was  taken  away  almost  by 
this  narrative  is  but  a  faint  expression  of  my  feel- 
ings, while  St.  Helen  was  perfectly  calm  with  that 
restful  look  which  gives  expression  to  a  feeling  of 
relief. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
THE  ASSASSINATION 

After  a  period  of  silence  St.  Helen  began,  with  re- 
newed interest  and  energy,  telling  me  of  the  plot  to 
kill  President  Lincoln,  saying: 

"On  the  morning  of  the  day  I  killed  the  Presi- 
dent the  taking  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Lincoln  had  never 
entered  my  mind.  My  purpose  had  been,  as  I  have 
stated,  to  kidnap  President  Lincoln  for  the  purpose 
I  have  mentioned,  and,  in  fact,  one  or  more  efforts 
to  do  so  had  fallen  through,  and  we  intended  that 
the  last  effort  should  not  fail.  Preparatory  to  this 
end  David  E.  Herold  and  I  left  Washington,  D.  C., 
by  the  way  of  Surrattville  and  along  the  under- 
ground route  I  have  before  described,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  perfecting  plans  for  the  kidnaping  of  the 
President.  And  after  having  passed  over  this  line  on 
horseback  from  Washington  to  near  Richmond,  Vir- 
ginia, we  returned,  after  making  the  necessary  prep- 
arations for  crossing  the  Potomac  and  Rappahan- 
rock  rivers,  over  the  same  route,  stopping  the  night 
of  the  13th  day  of  April,  1865,  at  the  old  Surratt 
tavern,  at  Surrattville,  located  about  twelve  miles 
to  the  southeast  of  Washington  City.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  14th  day  of  April,  1865,  we  came  into 
Washington  and  were  stopped  at  the  block  house 

40 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

of  the  Federal  troops,  at  the  bridge  crossing  the 
East  Potomac  river,  by  the  Federal  troops,  on  guard 
at  this  point.  It  appeared  that  some  recent  reports 
had  been  circulated  that  the  life  or  safety  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  was  impending,  and  that  an  attempt 
had  or  would  be  made  from  some  source  to  assas- 
sinate the  President,  while  at  this  time  any  such  pur- 
pose was  unknown  to  me,  and  because  of  these  re- 
ports we  were  informed  by  the  guard  that  no  one 
could  pass  in  or  out  of  Washington  City  without 
giving  a  full  account  of  himself,  because  of  the 
threats  against  the  life  of  the  President.  Herold 
and  I  hesitated  to  give  our  names  for  awhile,  and 
were  arrested  and  detained  at  this  block  house  from 
about  11  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  in  the  after- 
noon about  2  o'clock,  when  for  the  first  time  we 
heard  definitely  of  Lee's  surrender  at  Appomattox. 
We  then  realized  that  this  was  a  death  blow  to  the 
Southern  Confederate  States,  when  we  made  satis- 
factory explanation  and  were  permitted  to  enter 
the  city  and  went  straight  to  the  Kirkwood  Hotel, 
the  place  of  rendezvous  of  the  conspirators  against 
Mr.  Lincoln,  and  where  Andrew  Johnson  boarded. 
All  the  conspirators  against  President  Lincoln  met 
here  with  Andrew  Johnson  conversant  of  the  pur- 
pose to  kidnap  the  President.  On  arriving  at  the 
hotel,  about  3  o'clock,  I  called  on  Vice-President 

41 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

Johnson,  when  we  talked  over  the  situation  and  the 
changed  conditions  because  of  the  surrender  of 
Gen.  Lee,  and  the  Confederate  forces  at  Appomat- 
tox,  which  had  made  the  purpose  of  the  kidnaping 
of  President  Lincoln  and  his  delivery  to  the  Con- 
federate government  at  Richmond,  to  be  held  as  a 
hostage  of  war,  impossible,  as  the  Confederate  gov- 
ernment had  abandoned  Richmond  and  the  war  be- 
tween the  States  was  considered  practically  over, 
which  left,  to  my  mind,  nothing  that  we  could  do 
but  accept  defeat  and  leave  the  South,  whom  we  had 
made  our  best  efforts  to  serve,  to  her  own  fate,  bit- 
ter and  disappointing  as  it  was.  When  Vice-Presi- 
dent Johnson  turned  to  me  and  said,  in  an  excited 
voice  and  apparent  anger: 

"  'Will  you  falter  at  this  supreme  moment?' 

"I  could  not  understand  his  meaning,  and  stood 
silent,  when  with  pale  face,  fixed  eyes  and  quivering 
lips,  Mr.  Johnson  asked  of  me : 
.    "  'Are  you  too  faint-hearted  to  kill  him?' 

"As  God  is  my  judge,  this  was  the  first  suggestion 
of  the  dastardly  deed  of  the  taking  of  the  life  of 
President  Lincoln,  and  came  as  a  shock  to  me. 
While  for  the  moment  I  waited  and  then  said: 

"  'To  kill  the  President  is  certain  death  to  me,' 
and  I  explained  to  Vice-President  Johnson  that  I 
had  just  been  arrested  by  the  guard  as  I  was  com- 

42 


ANDREW    JOHNSON. 

Vice-President    of    the    United    States,    and    the    Home    Where 
He   Was   Born,    Near   Raleigh,    N.    C. 


JEFFERSON    DAVIS. 

President    of    the    Confederate    States    of   America    During    the 
Late    Civil    War. 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

ing  into  the  city  over  the  East  Potomac  bridge  that 
morning,  and  that  it  would  be  absolutely  impos- 
sible for  me  to  escape  through  the  military  line, 
should  I  do  as  he  suggested,  as  this  line  of  protec- 
tion completely  surrounded  the  city.  Replying  to 
this  Mr.  Johnson  said: 

"  'Gen.  and  Mrs.  U.  S.  Grant  are  in  the  city,  the 
guests  of  President  Lincoln  and  family,  and  from 
the  evening  papers  I  have  learned  that  President 
Lincoln  and  wife  will  entertain  Gen.  and  Mrs.  Grant 
at  a  box  party  to  be  given  in  their  honor  by  the 
President  and  Mrs.  Lincoln  at  Ford's  Theater  this 
evening. ' 

"At  my  suggestion  Vice-President  Johnson  as- 
sured me  that  he  would  so  arrange  and  see  to  it 
himself,  that  Gen.  and  Mrs.  Grant  would  not  attend 
the  theater  that  evening  with  the  President  and  his 
family,  and  would  also  arrange  for  my  certain  es- 
cape. I  replied: 

"  'Under  these  conditions  and  assurances  I  will 
dare  strike  the  blow  for  the  helpless,  vanquished 
Southland,  whose  people  I  love.' 

"Mr.  Johnson  left  the  room  and  after  a  little 
more  than  an  hour  returned,  saying  that  it  had  been 
arranged  as  he  had  promised,  and  that  Gen.  Grant 
had  been,  or  would  be  suddenly  called  from  the  city, 
and  that,  therefore,  he  and  his  wife  could  not  attend 

43 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

the  theater  that  evening  with  the  President  and 
Mrs.  Lincoln,  as  had  been  prearranged,  and  that 
such  persons  as  would  attend  and  occupy  the  box  at 
the  theater  with  the  President  and  wife  would  not 
interfere  with  me  in  my  purpose  and  effort  to  kill 
the  President,  and  this  he  thought  an  opportune 
time,  and  that  I  would  be  permitted  to  escape  by 
the  route  over  which  I  had  entered  the  city  during 
the  forenoon  of  that  day.  That  is,  that  I  was  to  go 
out  over  the  East  Potomac  river  bridge,  that  the 
guards  would  be  called  in  from  this  point  by  order 
of  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur  that  afternoon  or  evening, 
but  if  there  should  be  guards  on  the  bridge,  I 
was  to  use  the  password  *T.  B.'  or  'T.  B.  Road,'  by 
explanation,  if  need  be,  which  would  be  understood 
by  the  guards,  and  I  would  be  permitted  to  pass 
and  protected  by  himself  (Mr.  Johnson)  absolutely 
in  my  escape,  and  that  on  the  death  of  President 
Lincoln,  he  (Vice-President  Johnson)  would  become 
president  of  the  United  States,  and  that  in  this  offi- 
cial capacity  I  could  depend  on  him  for  protection 
and  absolute  pardon,  if  need  be,  for  the  crime  of 
killing  President  Lincoln,  which  he  had  suggested 
to  me  and  I  had  agreed  to  perform. 

"Fired  by  the  thoughts  of  patriotism,  and  hoping 
to  serve  the  Southern  cause,  hopeless  as  it  then  was, 
as  no  other  man  could  then  do,  I  regarded  it  as  an 

44 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

opportunity  for  an  heroic  act  for  my  country  and 
not  the  exercise  of  a  grudge  or  any  feeling  of  malice 
toward  the  President,  for  I  had  none  against  him  as 
an  individual,  but  rather  to  slay  the  President  that 
Andrew  Johnson,  a  Southern  man,  a  resident  of  the 
State  of  Tennessee,  should  be  made  President  of  the 
United  States,  to  serve  the  interests  of  the  South. 
And  upon  the  further  promise  made  me  by  Mr.  John- 
son that  he  as  President  of  the  United  States,  would 
protect  the  people  of  the  South  from  personal  op- 
pression and  the  confiscation  of  their  remaining 
landed  estates,  relying  upon  these  promises,  and  be- 
lieving that  by  the  killing  of  President  Lincoln  I 
could  practically  bring  victory  to  the  Southern  peo- 
ple out  of  defeat  for  the  South.  Moved  by  this  pur- 
pose and  actuated  by  no  other  motives,  assured  by 
Mr.  Johnson  of  my  personal  safety,  I  began  the 
preparation  for  the  bloody  deed  by  going  to  Ford's 
Theater,  and  among  other  things,  arranging  the  door 
leading  into  the  box  to  be  occupied  by  Mr.  Lincoln, 
which  had  already  been  decorated  for  the  occasion, 
so  that  I  could  raise  the  fastenings,  enter  the  box 
and  close  the  door  behind  me  so  that  it  could  not  be 
opened  from  the  outside  and  returned  to  the  Kirk- 
wood  hotel.  I  then  loaded  afresh  my  derringer  pis- 
tol so  that  she  would  not  fail  me  of  fire,  and  met 
Vice-President  Johnson  for  the  last  time  and  in- 

45 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

formed  him  of  my  readiness  to  carry  out  the  prom- 
ise I  had  made  him.  About  8:30  that  evening  we 
left  his  room,  walked  to  the  bar  in  the  hotel  and 
drank  strong  brandy  in  a  silent  toast  to  the  success 
of  the  bloody  deed.  We  walked  from  the  bar-room 
to  the  street  together,  when  I  offered  my  hand  as 
the  last  token  of  good-bye  and  loyalty  to  our  pur- 
pose, and  I  shall  not  forget  to  my  dying  day  the 
clasp  of  his  cold,  clammy  hand  when  he  said : 

"  'Make  as  sure  of  your  aim  as  I  have  done  in 
arranging  for  your  escape.  For  in  your  complete 
success  lies  our  only  hope.' 

"I  replied,  'I  will  shoot  him  in  the  brain.' 

"  'Then  practically,  from  this  time  I  am  President 
of  the  United  States,'  replied  Vice-President  John- 
son, and  he  addeti,  'good-bye.' 

"I  returned  to  the  theater.  I  saw  the  President  and 
party  later  take  their  seats  in  the  box.  I  moved  my 
position  to  a  convenient  space,  and  at  the  time  when 
the  way  was  clear  and  the  play  was  well  before  the 
footlights  I  entered  the  President's  box,  closed  the 
door  behind  me  and  instantly  placed  my  pistol  so 
near  it  almost  touched  his  head  and  fired  the  shot 
which  killed  President  Lincoln  and  made  Andrew 
Johnson  President  of  the  United  States  and  myself 
an  outcast,  a  wanderer,  and  gave  me  the  name  of  an 
assassin.  As  I  fired  the  same  instant  I  leaped  from 

46 


Booth    Fleeing    from    Ford's   Theatre    After   the    Assassinatior 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

the  box  to  the  stage,  my  right  spur  entangled  in 
something  in  the  drapery  on  the  box,  which  caused 
me  to  miss  my  aim  or  location  on  the  stage  and  threw 
my  shin  bone  against  the  edge  of  the  stage,  which 
fractured  my  right  shin  bone  about  six  or  eight 
inches  above  the  ankle.  (At  this  point  St.  Helen, 
exposing  his  shin,  called  attention  to  what  seemed  to 
be  a  niched  or  uneven  surface  on  the  shin  bone.  This 
I  did  not  notice  closely,  but  casually  it  appeared  to 
have  been  a  wound  or  fracture.) 

"From  the  stage  I  reached  my  horse  in  safety, 
which  by  arrangement  was  being  held  by  David  E. 
Herold,  back  of  the  theater  and  close  to  the  door  of 
the  back  entrance.  "With  Herold 's  assistance  I 
mounted  my  horse  and  rode  away  with  full  speed 
without  hindrance,  and  reached  the  bridge  at  the 
East  Potomac  river,  crossing  the  same  with  my 
horse  at  full  pace.  When  I  came  to  the  gate  across 
the  east  end  of  the  bridge  there  stood  a  Federal 
guard,  who  asked  me  a  question  easy  to  answer: 

"  'Where  are  you  going?' 

"I  replied,  using  the  simple  letters  "T.  B.'  as  I  had 
been  instructed,  and  the  guard  then  asked : 

"  'Where?' 

"I  then  replied,  'T.  B.  Road,'  as  I  had  been  in- 
structed by  Mr.  Johnson,  and  without  further  ques- 
tion the  guard  called  for  assistance  to  help  raise 

47 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

the  gate  quickly,  when  I  at  once  again  urged  my 
horse  to  full  speed  and  went  on  to  Surrattville,  where 
I  waited  for  Herold  to  overtake  me,  as  prearranged, 
whom  I  expected  to  follow  closely  behind.  After 
waiting  a  few  minutes  Herold  came  up  and 
we  rode  the  remainder  of  the  night  until  about  4 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  April,  1865, 
when  we  reached  the  home  of  Dr.  Samuel  Mudd, 
where  Dr.  Mudd,  by  cutting  a  slit  in  it,  removed 
my  riding  boot  from  the  injured  right  foot  and  leg 
and  proceeded  to  dress  it  by  bandaging  it  with 
strips  of  cloth  and  pieces  of  cigar  boxes,  and  the 
riding  boot  was  left  at  the  home  of  Dr.  Mudd,  where 
we  remained  during  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  at 
nightfall  proceeded  on  our  journey,  my  bootless 
right  foot  being  covered  only  by  the  sock  and  the 
leg  as  bandaged  and  splinted  by  Dr.  Mudd. 

"From  the  home  of  Dr.  Mudd  I  went  to  the  home 
of  a  Southern  sympathizer  by  the  name  of  Cox, 
which  we  reached  between  4  and  5  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  16th  day  of  April,  1865.  Mr.  Cox 
refused  to  admit  us  into  his  house,  the  news  of  the 
death  of  President  Lincoln  having  preceded  us,  and 
he  feared  for  this  reason  to  take  Herold  and  me  in. 
But  he  called  his  overseer,  or  manager  about  the 
place,  and  instructed  him  to  hide  us  in  a  pine  thicket 
on  or  near  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  river,  just  back 

48 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

of  and  near  his  plantation.  This  man,  the  overseer, 
was  of  medium  size,  approximately  my  weight,  but 
not  quite  so  tall,  I  should  say,  swarthy  complexioned, 
black  hair  and  eyes,  with  a  short  growth  of  whiskers 
over  his  face.  I  called  him  by  that  familiar  cogno- 
men known  to  the  Confederate  soldiers,  'Johnny.' 
I  have  the  impression,  whether  correct  or  not  I  can- 
not say,  from  having  heard  his  name  called  by  a 
Mr.  Jones,  a  relative  of  Mr.  Cox,'  that  it  was  Ruddy 
or  Roby,  but  heard  this  only  a  few  times.  Of  course, 
this  may  have  been  a  given  name,  nickname  or  sir- 
name,  I  don't  know  how  this  was;  I  was  not  spe- 
cially interested  in  knowing  his  name  and  was  with 
him  but  a  short  while,  having  negotiated  with  him 
to  put  us  across  the  country  and  into  the  care  and 
protection  of  the  Confederate  soldiers. 

"Ruddy  told  me  (if  this  be  his  name)  that  some 
of  Col.  Mosby's  command  of  Confederate  troops  was 
then  encamped  not  far  south  of  the  Rappahannock 
river  at  or  near  Bowling  Green,  Virginia,  and  agreed 
to  convey  and  deliver  us  to  these  Confederate  troops 
for  a  price,  as  I  now  best  remember,  about  three  hun- 
dred dollars.  Ruddy,  as  we  will  call  him,  left  us  in 
our  hiding  place  until  he  could  go  to  Bowling  Green, 
some  thirty-five  miles  or  more  distant,  with 
a  view  of  arranging  with  some  of  these  sol- 
diers to  meet  us  at  a  fixed  time  and  place — pro- 

49 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

posedly  on  the  Rappahannock  river,  which  was  then 
about  the  dividing  line  between  the  contending  Fed- 
eral and  Confederate  armies. 

"Ruddy  left  and  did  not  return  for  several  day,, 
from  say  the  16th  or  17th  to  the  21st  of  April,  1865. 
Herold  and  I  were  cared  for  during  his  absence  by 
Mr.  Jones,  the  relative,  I  think,  half  brother  of 
Mr.  Cox.  On  Ruddy's  return  he  reported  that  the 
desired  arrangements  had  been  made  with  Capt.  Jett 
and  others  of  Mosby's  command,  then  stationed  at 
Bowling  Green,  Virginia,  south  of  the  Rappahannock 
river,  to  meet  us  at  the  ferry  on  the  Rappahannock 
river  at  Ports  Conway  and  Royal,  as  early  as  2 
o'clock  P.  M.  of  April  22,  1865.  So  we  immediately 
started  for  this  point  on  the  night  of  the  21st  of 
April,  crossed  the  Potomac  river,  reaching  the  south 
side  of  the  Potomac  river  we  then  had  about  eigh- 
teen miles  to  go  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Rappahan- 
nock river  to  the  point  agreed  upon.  This  distance 
was  through  an  open  country,  and  we  were  liable  to 
be  come  upon  at  any  moment  by  the  Federal  troops ; 
so  to  guard  against  this  I  arranged  the  plan  of  my 
flight,  covering  this  distance  from  the  Potomac  to 
the  Rappahannock  to  be  the  scene  of  an  old  negro 
moving.  An  old  negro  near  the  summer  home  of 
Dr.  Stewart  possessed  of  two  impoverished  horses 
and  a  dilapidated  wagon  was  hired  for  the  trip. 

50 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

Straw  was  first  placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  wagon 
bed.  I  got  in  on  this  straw  and  stretched  out  full 
length;  then  slats  were  placed  over  the  first  com- 
partment of  the  bed,  giving  me  a  space  of  about 
eighteen  inches  deep,  which  required  me  to  remain 
lying  on  the  straw  during  the  entire  trip.  On  the 
first  compartment  of  the  wagon  bed  was  placed  the 
second  portion  of  the  wagon  body,  commonly  called 
sideboards,  then  was  piled  on  this  old  chairs,  beds, 
mattresses,  quilts  and  such  other  paraphernalia  as  is 
ordinarily  kept  in  a  negro's  home.  A  number  of 
chickens  were  caught  and  put  in  a  split  basket, 
which  was  then  made  fast  to  the  hind  gate  of  the 
wagon,  with  old  quilts,  blankets,  etc.,  thrown  over 
the  back  end  of  the  wagon,  exposing  the  basket  of 
chickens,  and  the  wagon  or  team  was  driven  by  the 
old  negro,  the  owner  of  the  same,  and  contents,  ex- 
cept myself.  And  now  having  this  arrangement  per- 
fect in  all  details,  we  at  once,  about  6  o'clock  A.M., 
left  on  our  perilous  trip  from  the  Potomac  to  the 
Rappahannock  river  with  Ports  Conway  and  Royal 
as  our  destination,  covering  the  distance  of  about 
eighteen  or  twenty  miles  without  incident  or  acci- 
dent on  our  march;  Herold  and  Ruddy  following 
along  in  the  wake  of  the  wagon,  some  distance  be- 
hind, they  told  me,  so  as  not  to  detract  from  the 
scene  of  the  plot  which  was  to  be  taken  as  one  of 
an  old  negro  moving. 

61 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

"In  my  concealment,  of  course,  I  had  to  be  very 
quiet.  I  could  not  talk  to  old  Lewis,  the  old  negro 
driver,  and  made  myself  as  comfortable  as  I  could 
be  in  my  cramped  position.  In  my  side  coat  pocket 
I  had  a  number  of  letters,  together  with  my  diary, 
and  I  think  there  was  a  picture  of  my  sister,  Mrs. 
Clark,  all  of  which  must  have  worked  out  of  my 
pocket  en  route  or  came  out  as  I  was  hurriedly 
taken  from  the  wagon.  Just  as  we  drew  up  at  the 
ferry  old  Lewis  called  out : 

"  'Dar's  dem  soldiers  now.' 

"And  at  the  same  moment  some  one  began  tear- 
ing away  the  things  from  the  back  gate  of  the 
wagon,  who  proved  to  be  Herold  and  Euddy,  much 
to  my  relief,  as  they  had  begun  unceremoniously  to 
remove  the  back  gate  of  the  wagon,  which  necessari- 
ly excited  me  very  much,  as  the  driver  did  not  say 
Confederate  soldiers,  and  the  'soldiers'  referred  to 
flashed  through  my  brain  as  being  Federal  soldiers. 
But  before  I  can  tell  you  the  back  of  the  wagon  was 
taken  away,  I  was  pulled  out  by  the  heels  by  Har- 
old and  Euddy,  and  at  once  hustled  into  the  ferry 
boat  and  over  the  river,  where  our  Confederate 
friends  were  waiting  for  us.  They,  in  fact,  being 
the  'soldiers'  referred  to  by  Lewis,  the  driver. 

"In  the  hurry,  as  well  as  the  method  of  taking 
me  from  the  wagon,  I  think  the  letters,  diary  and 

S2 


THE  ASSASSINATION, 

picture  of  my  sister,  were  lost  from  my  pocket,  as  I 
was  dragged  out.  About  this  I  can't  say,  but  I  do 
know  that  after  I  had  crossed  the  river  and  was  feel- 
ing in  my  pocket  to  get  the  check,  which  I  had  on  a 
Canadian  bank,  and  with  which  I  paid  this  man  Rud- 
dy for  his  services  he  had  rendered  us,  for  an 
amount,  as  I  now  remember  it,  of  about  sixty  pounds, 
I  discovered  I  had  lost  these  papers.  I  asked  Ruddy 
to  go  back  over  the  river  and  get  them  out  of  the 
wagon,  if  they  were  there,  and  bring  them  to  me  at 
the  Garrett  home,  where  the  soldiers  had  arranged 
to  take  me  until  Herold  and  Ruddy  should  go  to 
Bowling  Green,  Virginia,  that  afternoon,  it  being 
then  about  2  o'clock. 

"This  man  Ruddy  stepped  into  an  old  batteau  boat 
to  go  over  to  the  wagon  and  get  these  papers  after 
I  handed  him  his  check.  We  being  too  exposed  to 
wait  for  his  return,  I  hurriedly  rode  away  with  the 
two  gentlemen  to  whom  I  had  been  introduced  as 
Lieuts.  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge,  to  the  Garrott 
home,  mounted  on  a  horse  belonging  to  the  man 
to  whom  I  had  been  introduced  as  Capt.  Jett.  These 
gentlemen,  as  I  understood  it,  were  connected  with 
Mosby's  command  of  Confederate  soldiers.  But  be- 
fore separating  at  this  ferry  it  had  been  understood 
between  Herold,  Ruddy  and  myself  that  they  would 
go  to  Bowling  Green,  Virginia,  that  afternoon,  in 

S3 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

company  with  Capt.  Jett,  on  foot,  by  a  near  way, 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  me  a  shoe  for  my  lame 
foot  and  such  other  things  as  Herold  and  I  needed 
and  that  could  not  be  obtained  at  Ports  Conway  and 
Royal,  and  they  were  to  return  and  meet  me  the 
next  day  at  the  Garrett  home,  where  Ruddy  would 
deliver  to  me  the  papers  mentioned,  if  recovered. 

"The  Garrett  home,  I  should  say,  is  about  three 
miles  north  of  the  public  road  crossing  the  Rappa- 
hannock  river  at  Ports  Conway  and  Royal  and  lead- 
ing in  a  southerly  direction  to  Bowling  Green,  Vir- 
ginia. From  the  ferry  we  went  out  the  Bowling 
Green  road  a  short  distance  westerly ;  we  then  turned 
and  rode  north  on  a  country  or  bridle  road  for  a 
distance  of  about  three  miles  and  a  half,  when  we 
reached  the  Garrett  home,  where  Lieuts.  Bainbridge 
and  Ruggles  left  me,  but  were  to  keep  watch  in  the 
distance  over  me  until  Ruddy  and  Herold  returned, 
Xhich  they  were  expected  to  do  the  following  day,  it 
being  some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  walk  for  them. 
They  were  to  remain  there  (at  Bowling  Green)  over 
night  of  the  day  they  left  me  and  return  the  follow- 
ing day. 

"About  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of 
April  the  23d,  1865,  the  second  day  of  my  stay  at 
the  Garrett  home,  I  was  out  in  the  front  yard,  loung- 
ing on  the  meadow,  when  Lieuts.  Bainbridge  and 

54 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

Ruggles  came  up  hurriedly  and  notified  me  that  a 
squad  of  Yankee  troops  had  crossed  the  Rappahan- 
nock  river  in  hot  pursuit  of  me,  and  advised  me  to 
leave  at  once  and  go  back  into  the  woods  north  of 
the  Garrett  house,  in  a  wooded  ravine,  which  they 
pointed  out,  giving  me  a  signal  whistle  by  which  I 
would  know  them,  and  hurriedly  rode  off,  saying 
that  they  would  return  for  me  in  about  an  hour  at 
the  place  designated,  and  bring  with  them  a  horse 
for  my  escape. 

"I  left  immediately,  without  letting  anyone  know 
that  I  had  gone  or  the  direction  I  had  taken.  I 
reached  the  woods  at  about  the  place  which  had 
been  pointed  out  to  me,  as  nearly  as  one  could  trav- 
eling in  a  strange  wooded  section  with  the  impedi- 
ment of  a  lame  leg.  At  about  the  time  fixed  I  was 
delighted  to  hear  the  signal,  and  answered,  to  the 
best  of  my  recollection,  about  three  or  four  o'clock 
P.  M.  My  friends  came  up  with  an  extra  horse, 
which  I  mounted,  and  we  rode  away  in  a  westerly 
direction,  riding  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon  and 
the  following  night  until  about  twelve  o'clock,  when 
we  camped  together  in  the  woods,  or  rather  dis- 
mounted to  rest  ourselves  and  horses  until  daylight. 
"We  talked  over  the  situation,  they  giving  me  direc- 
tions by  which  I  should  travel.  When  we  at  last  sep- 
arated in  a  country  road,  they  said  about  twenty  or 

55 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

twenty-five  miles  to  the  west  of  the  Garrett  home  or 
Ports  Royal  and  Conway;  I,  of  course,  thanked 
them  and  offered  them  pay  for  the  services  they  had 
rendered  me  and  the  price  of  the  horse  they  had 
turned  over  to  me,  all  of  which  they  refused  to  ac- 
cept, and  bade  me  goodbye,  with  the  warning  that 
I  should  keep  my  course  well  to  the  westward  for 
that  day's  ride,  and  then,  after  this  day's  ride,  con- 
tinue my  journey  to  the  southwest. 

"As  advised  by  them,  I  rode  on  westerly  through 
all  the  country  roads  as  I  came  to  them  leading  in 
that  direction  until  about  ten  o'clock  A.M.  of  the 
second  day  out  from  the  Garrett  home,  when,  ow- 
ing to  the  fatigue  of  myself  and  horse,  and  suffering 
from  my  wounded  leg,  I  found  it  necessary  to  rest 
and  stopped  at  a  small  farm  house  on  the  country 
road,  where  there  seemed  to  live  only  three  elderly 
ladies,  who,  at  my  request,  took  me  in  as  a  wounded 
Confederate  soldier,  fed  my  horse  and  gave  me 
breakfast,  and  as  I  now  best  remember,  I  compen- 
sated them,  paying  them  one  dollar  in  small  silver 
coin. 

"After  a  few  hours'  rest  for  myself  and  horse,  I 
pushed  on  toward  the  west  the  remainder  of  the 
day  and  the  forepart  of  the  night,  as  best  I  could, 
but  early  in  the  night  I  rode  into  the  thick  brush 
located  in  a  small  creek  bottom  some  distance  from 

56 


Booth,  Disguised  as  a  Confederate  Soldier  in  His  Plight, 
Applies  for  Shelter  anrl  Hospitality  for  His  Tired  Horse 
and  Himsolf. 


THE    ASSASSINATION. 

the  road  and  remained  there  all  night.  The  next 
morning  I  obtained  breakfast  for  myself  and  feed 
for  my  horse  from  an  elderly  gentleman  and  lady  at 
a  little  country  home  at  an  early  hour  without  fur- 
ther incident  and  interest,  save  and  except  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  meal,  when  I  turned  my  course  to  the 
southwest,  as  I  had  been  directed,  and  followed  this 
direction  day  after  day,  impersonating  the  character 
of  a  Confederate  soldier.  Continuing  on  down 
through  West  Virginia,  I  crossed  the  Big  Sandy  river 
at  Warfield,  in  Eastern  Kentucky,  and  after  travel- 
ing from  Warfield  for  about  two  days,  and  covering 
a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixey  miles  in  a  southwesterly 
direction  from  Warfield,  I,  as  well  as  my  horse,  was 
about  worn  out,  and  I  was  therefore  compelled  to 
rest  for  about  a  week,  claiming  to  be  a  wounded 
Confederate  soldier.  The  parties  with  whom  I 
stopped  was  a  widow  lady  and  her  young  son,  whose 
name  I  can  not  now  remember.  But  after  receiving 
their  kind  attentions  and  needed  rest,  I  resumed  my 
journey  with  the  purpose  of  traveling  to  the  south 
until  I  could  reach  the  Mississippi  river  at  a  safe 
point  for  crossing  it,  and  find  my  way  into  the  Indian 
Territory  as  the  best  possible  hiding  place,  in  my 
opinion. 

"I  finally  reached  without   incident    worthy    of 
mention  the  Mississippi  river  and  crossed  the  same 

57 


THE  ASSASSINATION. 

at  what  was  called  Catfish  Point,  in  the  State  of 
Mississippi.  This  point  is  a  short  distance  south 
of  where  the  Arkansas  river  empties  into  the  Mis- 
sissippi river.  I  followed  the  south  and  west  bank 
of  the  Arkansas  river  until  I  reached  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, where  I  remained  at  different  places,  hid- 
ing among  the  Indians  for  a&out  eighteen  months, 
when  I  left  the  Indian  Territory  and  went  to  Ne- 
braska and  was  at  Nebraska  City  employed  by  a 
white  man  to  drive  a  team  connected  with  a  wagon 
train  going  from  Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  to  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah.  This  man  was  hauling  provisions 
for  the  United  States  government  to  the  Federal 
troops  encamped  at  Salt  Lake  City.  But  I  left  this 
wagon  train  while  en  route,  just  before  we  got  to 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  proceeded  to  San  Francisco, 
California,  to  meet  my  mother  and  my  brother, 
Junius  Brutus  Booth.  After  meeting  my  mother 
and  brother  and  remaining  a  while  there,  I  left  and 
went  into  Mexico.  From  there  I  went  up  through 
Texas,  finally  stopping  at  Glenrose  Mills  and  Grand- 
berry,  Texas,  where  we  are  now. 

"Of  course,  I  could  add  many  matters  of  interest 
to  what  I  have  said  to  you,  but  I  have  told  you  quite 
sufficient  for  the  present,"  saying  which  he  gave 
me  a  look  of  inquiry  as  much  as  to  say,  "Well,  what 

do  you  thing  of  me  now?" 

t. 

58 


THE    ASSASSINATION. 

I  broke  my  long,  intense  and  interested  silence  by 
saying,  as  I  rose  from  my  seat  and  looked  at  my 
watch : 

"It  is  now  about  our  lunch  hour;  suppose  we  re- 
turn to  town,"  to  which  St.  Helen  assented. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THEIMAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT 
HOME 

As  we  were  returning  to  town  I  continued  the  sub- 
ject of  our  conversation  by  saying  to  St.  Helen  that 
I  had  little  knowledge  of  the  history  of  the  matters 
about  which  he  had  spoken  so  in  detail,  but  as  of  gen- 
eral information  knew  that  John  Wilkes  Booth  had 
assassinated  President  Lincoln,  though  had  no  accur- 
ate knowledge  of  the  facts  as  detailed  by  him  of  the 
President's  assassination,  such  as  would  enable  me  to 
reach  the  conclusion,  as  to  the  correctness  or  incor- 
rectness of  his  statement,  for  I  having  been  a  small 
boy  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  had  not  had  the 
opportunity  to  know  much  of  the  history  of  the  war, 
and  less  of  the  facts  touching  the  tragic  death  of 
President  Lincoln,  and  therefore  was  left  alone  to 
judge  of  the  truth  of  what  he  said  by  the  impressions 
and  convictions  that  his  mere  relation  of  it  created 
on  my  mind.  The  truth  being  that  I  did  not  believe 
his  story  and  sought  the  first  opportunity  to  close 
an  interview  as  abhorrent  as  it  was  disbelievable  by 

60 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

me.  And  out  of  charity  I  had  begun  to  regard  St. 
Helen  as  an  insane  man,  bordering  in  fact  upon  vio- 
lent madness,  but  I  said  to  him : 

"I  have  learned  to  know  and  like  you  as  John  St. 
Helen,  but  I  would  not  know  how  to  regard  you  and 
associate  with  you  as  John  Wilkes  Booth,  the  assassin, 
and  to  be  kind  and  generous  to  you  as  my  friend,  I 
must  say  I  do  not  believe  your  story.  First  because, 
I  like  St.  Helen,  and  in  the  second  place  is  it  not  true 
that  John  Wilkes  Booth  was  killed  soon  after  the  as- 
sassination of  President  Lincoln,  such  as  has  been  the 
general  information  heretofore  practically  unques- 
tioned? No,  St.  Helen,  not  against  my  will  and  in 
face  of  these  facts  can  I  believe  you  the  assassin  and 
criminal  you  claim  to  be.  And  giving  you  the  benefit 
of  the  doubt  of  your  sanity  I  must  decline  to  accept 
your  story  as  true.  It  is  possible  you  may  have  known 
Booth  and  the  secrets  of  his  crime  and  escape,  and  it 
is  possible  that  from  your  brooding  over  this  subject 
your  mind  has  become  shaken  and  you  imagine  your- 
self Booth.  To  me  you  are  my  friend  John  St.  Helen — 
not  the  wicked  and  arch-criminal,  the  assassin,  John 
Wilkes  Booth.  It  would  take  even  more  than  your 
sane  statement  to  make  me  believe  that  you  are  any 
other  than  John  St.  Helen.  I  can't  believe  that  one 
of  your  humane  instincts,  possessed,  as  I  think  I  know 
you  to  be,  of  all  the  attributes  of  gentle  breeding  and 

61 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

culture,  with  the  highest  order  of  intellect  and  re- 
finement blended  with  beautiful  sentiment,  and 
possessed  of  a  soul  unalloyed  with  crime,  can  be 
John  Wilkes  Booth.  Could  a  man  seeming- 
ly possessed  of  such  attributes,  protected  by  a 
strong  manhood,  without  physical  or  mental  fear, 
without  an  apparent  taint  of  the  composition  of  cow- 
ardice, play  the  part  of  an  assassin  ?  Booth  may  have 
been  possessed  of  all  the  qualities  that  it  takes  to  make 
up  the  assassin,  but  St.  Helen?  In  my  opinion,  no, 
if  I  mistake  not  your  character.  You  would  have  met 
the  man  you  sought  to  slay  to  the  forefront  and  bid 
him  with  equal  chance  defend  the  life  you  would 
take. 

"Then,  too,  did  not  the  government  of  the  United 
States  announce  to  the  American  people,  and  as  for 
that  matter,  to  the  civilized  world,  that  Booth  was 
killed  and  the  death  of  President  Lincoln  avenged? 
Then  do  you  say  it  is  a  fact  that  Booth  was  not  killed 
at  the  Garrett  barn  in  Virginia  ?  It  is  a  physical  fact 
that  some  man  was  killed  at  the  Garrett  home.  If  not 
Booth  who  was  this  mant" 

St.  Helen  replied  by  saying,  "As  you  have  heard 
that  a  man  was  killed  at  the  Garrett  barn,  and  without 
positive  or  direct  proof  as  to  who  this  man  was,  yet 
from  the  circumstances  I  would  say  that  it  was  Ruddy, 
the  man  with  whom  I  had  negotiated  for  my  personal 

62 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

deliverance,  together  with  that  of  my  accomplice, 
David  E.  Herold,  to  the  Confederate  soldiers.  You 
will  remember  I  paid  this  man  with  a  check  made 
payable  to  my  order  by  a  Canadian  bank,  and  if  he 
did,  as  I  requested,  which  he  promised  to  do  and  left 
me  to  do,  he  got  my  letters,  pictures,  etcetera,  out  of 
the  wagon,  as  I  have  explained  to  you,  as  he  was  to 
bring  them  to  me  at  the  Garrett  home  on  the  day  or 
night  following  the  day  that  I  left  the  Garrett  home, 
as  I  have  also  explained  to  you.*  I  take  it,  without 
personal  knowledge  of  the  facts,  that  Ruddy  and  Her- 
old came  to  the  Garrett  home,  as  prearranged  and 
promised  when  we  separated  at  the  ferry  on  the  Rap- 
pahannock  river,  so  that  the  Federal  troops,  by  some 
means,  traced  me  to  the  Garrett  home,  where  they 
found  Herold  and  Ruddy,  killing  Ruddy  and  captur- 
ing Herold.  They  found  on  the  body  of  Ruddy 
the  cheek  for  sixty  pounds,  together  with  my  letters, 
and  I  think  a  picture,  and  by  reason  of  finding  these 
belongings  of  mine  on  the  body  of  Ruddy,  I  presume 
they  identified  it  as  the  body  of  myself.  But  this 
misleading  incident,  for  I  take  it  to  be  true  that  these 
documents  unexplained  found  upon  the  body  of  any- 
one, and  surely  by  those  who  did  not  know  me,  would 
reasonably  and  rightfully  justify  the  conclusion  that 
they  had  the  body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  but  they 
were  in  fact  mistaken.  And  I  do  not  for  one  moment 

63 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

doubt  the  sincerity  of  the  individual  members  of  the 
government  01  officers  and  men  who  captured  Herold 
and  killed,  as  I  suppose,  Buddy,  in  believing  that  they 
had  killed  me,  and  it  was  certainly  a  reasonable  and 
justifiable  mistake  if  they  had  no  other  means  of 
identifying  me  than  the  check  and  documents  found 
on  the  man  or  body  of  the  man  whom  we  have  called 
Ruddy.  But  in  this  connection  I  desire  to  say,  so  that 
my  conscience  shall  be  clear  and  confession  complete, 
that  I  have  no  cause  to  complain  of  the  treatment 
that  I  have  received  at  the  hands  of  the  Federal 
soldiers  or  officers  in  pursuit  of  me  before  and  after 
the  killing  of  President  Lincoln,  for  they  were  more 
than  once  in  plain  and  broad  view  of  me.  It  is  a  little 
remarkable,  don't  you  think,  that  it  was  possible  for 
me  to  remain  within  the  Federal  lines  for  seven  or 
more  entire  days  and  nights,  within  forty  miles  of 
Washington  City,  in  a  country  entirely  open  and 
within  the  territory  completely  occupied  by  the  Fed- 
eral troops,  while  I  waited  for  Ruddy  to  go  within 
the  Confederate  lines  and  arrange  to  have  Confederate 
soldiers  meet  us  at  the  Rappahannock  river,  as  the 
safest  and  most  certain  means  of  my  escape?" 

"Then,  it  is  your  contention,  St.  Helen,  that  the 
circumstances  of  finding  your  letters,  etc.,  on  Ruddy's 
body  was  all  the  proof  they  had?" 

64 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

' '  Certainly,  they  could  have  only  had  circumstantial 
proof — not  having  killed  me.  They  could  only  reach 
the  conclusion  from  the  incident  mentioned,  and  I  am 
before  you  now  as  a  physical  monument  to  .the  fact 
that  I  was  not  killed." 

"Yes,  but  I,  in  my  opinion,  as  well  as  a  large 
majority  of  the  American  people,  believe  that  the  gov- 
ernment has  in  its  possession  absolute  and  positive 
proof  of  the  killing  and  death  of  Booth.  However 
this  may  be,  I  shall  continue  to  know  and  associate 
with  you  only  as  John  St.  Helen,  until  I  shall  have 
more  satisfactory  proof  of  your  identity,"  when  so 
saying  St.  Helen  and  I  separated  and  went  our  dif- 
ferent ways  to  a  late  luncheon.  "While  I  as  a  fact  had 
little  or  no  confidence  in  the  story  told  me  by  St. 
Helen  and  did  not  believe  St.  Helen  to  be  Booth,  still 
his  manner,  directness  and  detail  of  his  statement 
left  its  impress  on  me  and  gave  a  justifiable  cause 
for  serious  reflection. 

The  former  pleasant  relation  between  St.  Helen 
and  myself  could  not  be  continued  with  him  as  Booth, 
for  we  forget  to  recognize  merit  and  friendship  in 
one's  character  where  there  is  much  to  be  otherwise 
condemned.  In  fact  we  find  our  friendship  paling  to 
contempt  and  our  admiration  to  scorn.  The  criminal 
becomes  common  place  and  unattractive,  because  he 
is  unworthy,  regardless  of  his  physical  attractiveness 

65 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

or  mental  attainments.  We  recognize  in  him  the 
villain.  What  we  may  call  St.  Helen's  con- 
fession tended  to  clear  up  the  mystery  he  had 
thrown  around  himself  when  he  sought  to  avoid  his 
appearance  before  the  Federal  court  at  Tyler,  by 
saying  his  true  name  was  not  St.  Helen,  and  I  now 
think  of  his  confession  in  the  light  of  his  hard  fight 
and  the  payment  of  money  to  avoid  being  taken  within 
the  settled  and  civilized  sections  of  the  state  of  Texas, 
lest  he  should  be  identified  to  be  another  than  John  St. 
Helen.  This  was  a  suspicious  circumstance,  at  least, 
that  in  fact  St.  Helen  was  Booth,  or  some  other  man 
than  St.  Helen,  for  as  a  fact  if  he  was  Booth  it  was 
possible  and  highly  probable  that  he  would  have  been 
identified  by  some  of  the  court  officials,  especially  by 
the  United  States  District  Attorney,  Col.  Jack  Evans, 
who  it  is  more  than  probable  had  seen  John  Wiikea 
Booth  on  the  stage.  Knowing  the  District  Attorney  as 
I  did,  as  also  from  information  of  his  frequent  trips 
to  Washington  and  Eastern  cities  during  the  days 
of  Booth's  triumphs  before  the  footlights  would 
show  a  well  founded  reason  why  St.  Helen 
should  not  have  taken  the  risk  incident  to  a 
trip  to  Tyler,  if  in  fact  he  was  Booth.  Then  I 
would  think  he  could  have  been  equally  as  well  John 
St.  Helen,  John  Smith  or  John  Brown,  or  any  other 
man,  who  had  committed  some  crime  other  than  that 

66 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GAKRETT  HOME. 

of  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  for  the 
commission  of  which  he  would  have  been  equally  as 
anxious  to  avoid  detection  under  any  other  name  or 
for  any  other  crime,  if  such  crime  had  any  connection 
with  the  violation  of  the  Federal  law.  In  other  words, 
he  could  as  well  have  been  a  mail  robber  as  the  assas- 
sin of  a  President.  So,  that  I  could  place  but  little 
importance  in  these  statements  and  circumstances  as 
a  proof  that  St.  Helen  was  hi  fact  John  Wilkes  Booth, 
but  rather  thought  of  his  confession  as  an  evidence 
of  an  identity  not  yet  spoken  of.  So  that  the  true 
identity  of  this  mysterious  St.  Helen  became  more 
mystifying.  Then  I  would  think  of  what  St.  Helen 
had  said  when  he  thought  he  was  making  his  dying 
declaration  that  he  was  John  Wilkes  Booth.  And  if 
this  was  not  true  why  need  he  in  the  presence  of 
impending  death,  as  he  thought,  make  the  confession 
that  he  was  Booth?  Then,  too,  I  would  think  this 
confession  was  without  significance,  as  St.  Helen 
seemed  prompted  by  no  purpose  after  he  had  been 
saved  from  the  Federal  court  and  from  death,  except 
to  prove  to  me  the  fact  of  his  true  identity,  for  what 
interest  could  it  have  been  to  me  or  what  could  it 
avail  Booth,  his  purpose  having  been  accomplished? 
So  reasoning  from  the  standpoint  of  cause  or  motives 
the  conclusions  reached  were  first,  that  St.  Helen  was 
not  Booth,  because  he  disclosed  his  secret  without  an 

67 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

apparent  necessity,  or  from  a  business  point  of  view, 
and  not  likely  from  a  matter  of  sentiment  Then  I 
would  think,  is  the  man  demented?  And  is  he  living 
without  purpose  or  reason?  Or  is  he  conscience 
stricken  and  telling  the  truth  for  the  relief  that  its 
confession  brings  to  him?  And  thus  can  reason 
answer  ? 

Resting  in  this  state  of  mind  I  waited  an  opportune 
time  when  St.  Helen  and  myself  were  retired,  effect- 
ually hidden  from  intrusion,  and  expressed  to  him  my 
apprehension  of  his  perfect  sanity  as  well  as  of  his 
true  identity,  and  asked  him  to  more  fully  explain 
why  he  had  made  this  confession  to  me  at  a  time  when 
he  supposed  he  was  in  his  last  illness  that  he  was 
John  Wilkes  Booth.  And  that  if  as  a  matter  of  fact 
he  was  John  Wilkes  Booth,  why  he  wanted  me  to 
know  it.  St.  Helen,  without  hesitation  but  with  slow 
and  deliberate  expression  in  substance  said: 

"I  have  spoken  to  you  in  good  faith  and  in  very 
truth,  having  in  no  way  deceived  or  in  any  manner 
misled  you,  and  had  thought  in  the  statements  I  have 
made  you  I  had  clearly  shown  my  purpose.  But  hav- 
ing failed  in  this  I  realize  my  fault,  possibly  produced 
by  my  long  habit  of  secretiveness  of  purpose,  that  my 
conversations  may  more  or  less  partake  of  the  long 
hidden  mystery  of  my  life,  and  in  themselves  appear 
mystifying  and  contradictory  in  a  measure  to  the 

68 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

legal  mind.  But  you  will  remember  that  I  gave  yov. 
these  reasons  some  time  ago — that  it  was  first  a  duty 
I  owe  myself  and  family  name  that  the  world  might 
know  the  motives  for  my  crime.  Then,  too,  I  reflect, 
that  my  crime  is  possibly  without  palliation,  certainly 
has  no  justifying  excuse  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  That 
in  fact  the  greater  part  of  my  purpose  in  the  con- 
fession I  first  made  you  was  to  secure  my  release  from 
an  attendance  on  the  Federal  court.  Other  than  this 
selfish  motive  you  can  not  easily  understand,  and  now 
in  the  light  of  what  I  have  said  to  you  I  must  confess 
that  I,  in  fact,  think  that  I  was  moved  by  a  desire  of 
finding  a  confidant  to  whom  at  a  chance  risk  of  my 
life  I  could  speak  fully  of  my  identity  and  unbur- 
dened the  story  of  my  crime  to  you,  for  God  and  the 
criminal  himself  only  know  the  punishment  it  is  for 
one  not  to  be  able  to  take  his  trouble  to  a  friend  and 
unfold  his  mind  to  the  ear  which  will  listen  with 
pity,  if  not  approval,  and  at  least  share  with  him  the 
knowledge  of  his  crime.  To  you,  free  from  crime,  it 
will  doubtless  occur  that  this  could  at  most  be  but  lit- 
tle consolation,  but  don 't  forget  that  any  consolation 
at  all  is  better  than  none,  and  that  the  life  of  man  at 
best  is  but  a  parasite  on  the  life  of  others;  his 
friends  who  give  hope  of  the  impossible  to  himself 
make  life  worth  the  living,  and  friendships  kindled 
into  faith  become  the  beacon  fires  which  illumine  the 

69 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARKETT  HOME. 

hours  of  our  darkness  beyond  the  sunlights  of  today, 
and  through  the  shadowed  valley  to  the  great  beyond 
where  God  rules  and  Justice  obtains  throughout  the 
time  of  all  eternity. 

"After  all,  be  it  so.  Having  made  known  to  you 
my  true  identity  and  the  cause  of  my  crime,  although 
I  know  that  you  by  your  actions  condemn  me  in  fact, 
I  would  think  less  of  you  if  you  did  not,  for  I  myself 
confess,  and  would  the  power  I  had  to  condemn  that 
which  you  condemn,  conscious  that  the  Arbiter  of  our 
being  is  pitiless  in  accusation,  ever  present  in  persecu- 
tion and  tireless  in  punishment.  Yes,  I  walk  in  the 
companionship  of  crime,  sleep  within  the  folds  of  sin 
and  dream  the  dreams  of  the  damned  and  awake  to  go 
forth  by  all  men  accused  as  well  as  self -condemned. 
Ah,  aweary,  aweary !  Shall  I  say  that  I  would  that  I 
were  dead?  Yes,  that  I  could  on  the  wings  of  the 
wind,  by  a  starless  and  moonless  night,  be  gone  in 
flight  to  the  land  of  perpetual  silence,  where  I  could 
forget  and  be  forgotten,  and  whisper  to  my  weary 
soul,  'Peace,  be  still.'  But  for  me,  except  in  death, 
there  is  no  rest,  for  God  in  the  dispensation  of  His 
justice  ordains  that  the  criminal  shall  suffer  the  pangs 
of  his  own  crime.  "Why,  then,  should  I  hope?  But 
hopeless  I  may  turn  when  all  nature  is  hushed  and 
hear  the  voice  of  the  supernatural  saying: 

70 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GAKRETT  HOME. 

"  'Look,  Repent  and  Confess.'  "When  shines  with- 
in the  light  of  the  star  of  Bethlehem  I  shall  see  ex- 
tended to  me  the  outstretched  arms  of  the  Sainted 
Mother  Mary,  I  look,  repent  and  confess,  and  the 
fires  of  hope  shall  rekindle  at  the  urn  of  my  being, 
with  the  fagots  of  incense  burning  in  holy  light  giv- 
ing off  the  perfume  of  frankincense  and  myrrh — a 
food  for  and  a  purification  of  the  soul.  And  this  alone 
can  bring  relief  to  my  physical  and  spiritual  being. 
And  in  my  confession  to  you  I  appealed  for  the  pity 
of  man  that  I  might  live  in  common  knowledge  with 
some  one  man,  the  secret  that  I,  John  Wilkes  Booth, 
did  make  my  escape  after  the  killing  of  President 
Lincoln,  whose  life  to  replace  I  would  gladly  give 
my  own." 

When  I  said  to  St.  Helen,  drop  the  curtain  on  the 
beautiful  sentiments  expressed  and  for  awhile  listen 
to  me.  The  statements  that  you  made  with  reference 
to  Mrs.  Surratt  and  her  son  John  Surratt  can  readily 
be  accepted  as  reasonable,  but  if  you  mean  to  say  that 
Vice-President,  Andrew  Johnson,  was  the  leading  con- 
spirator and  had  formed  a  plan  to  kidnap  and  finally 
suggested  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  it 
is  startling  to  a  point  of  disbelief,  an  insult  to  Ameri- 
can manhood!  It  traduces  the  character  of  a  dead 
man,  and  is  equalled  only  by  the  depravity  and 
cowardice  characterizing  the  act  of  the  assassina- 

71 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME, 

tion  of  President  Lincoln.  Nol  I  can  not  yet  with- 
out more  proof  believe  the  statement  that  you  make  to 
be  a  fact.  What  reason,  I  pray,  could  Andrew  Johnson 
have  in  being  a  party  to  the  assassination  of  President 
Lincoln  under  the  circumstances,  or  even  under  other 
circumstances  than  such  as  you  have  stated?" 
St.  Helen,  replying  in  substance,  said : 
' '  I  am  not  unmindful  of  what  my  statements  imply 
and  weigh  the  consequences  as  well  as  measure  my 
words,  when  I  say  that  in  the  light  of  after  events, 
it  was  in  fact  Vice-President  Johnson's  only  purpose 
in  planning  and  causing  the  assassination  of  President 
Lincoln,  to  make  himself  President  of  the  United 
States,  but  he  then  gave  as  his  reason,  among  oth- 
ers, which  I  have  before  explained  to  you,  that  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  by  the  act  of  the  emancipation  of  the 
slaves  of  the  South,  had  violated  the  constitutional 
rights  of  property  of  the  Southern  people  and  rea- 
soned that  if  he  would  override  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  in  this  respect  that  Mr.  Lincoln 
was  a  dangerous  man  to  be  President,  for  that  he 
could  with  the  same  propriety  and  that  he  would 
in  his  (Mr.  Johnson's)  opinion  continue  his  policy 
of  the  confiscation  of  the  remaining  properties  of 
the  people  of  the  South.  That  he  (Mr.  Johnson) 
was  a  Southern  man  and  a  citizen  resident  of  the 
South,  and  it  was  reasonable  to  expect,  believe,  and 

72 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

in  fact  know,  that  he  would  do  more  for  the  South 
under  the  then  existing  conditions  than  President  Lin- 
coln, who,  Mr.  Johnson  contended,  was  the  South 's 
greatest  enemy,  saying  that  he  (Mr.  Johnson)  was 
present  at  a  cabinet  meeting  prior  to  September  22nd, 
1864,  by  invitation  of  President  Lincoln,  when  the 
question  of  the  emancipation  of  slavery  was  to  be  dis- 
cussed and  that  upon  this  occasion  it  was  developed 
that  five  out  of  seven  members  of  President  Lincoln's 
cabinet,  as  follows,  Wells,  Smith,  Seward,  Blair  and 
Bates,  were  opposed  to  the  issuance  and  promulgation 
of  the  emancipation  proclamation,  and  the  argument 
made  by  those  men  in  opposition  was  that  such  a 
proclamation  by  the  chief  executive,  overriding  the 
decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States 
in  the  Dred  Scott  case,  was  an  usurpation  of  the  law 
and  constitution  of  the  United  States.  To  this  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  replied:  » 
"  'The  legal  objections  raised  in  opposition  to  the 
promulgation  of  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  free- 
ing the  negro  slaves  of  the  United  States  is  well 
founded  and  true,  but  I  believe  it  would  be  a  vital 
stroke  against  our  sister  states  in  rebellion,  and  believ- 
ing this  as  I  do,  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army 
and  as  President  of  the  United  States,  I  shall  issue 
this  proclamation  as  a  war  measure,  believing  it  to 
be  my  official  duty.  Believing,  as  I  do,  that  the  free- 

73 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

dom  of  the  negroes  is  humane  and  meritorious  and  a 
blow  to  the  enemy  which  it  can  not  long  withstand, 
and  from  my  understanding  of  my  official  dual  capac- 
ity as  President  of  the  United  States  as  its  Civil 
Officer  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army  from  a 
military  standpoint,  I  violate  no  law  or  official  trust 
in  doing  what  in  my  opinion  is  best  and  just  in  the 
suppression  of  the  present  rebellion.' 

"  'This  act  of  President  Lincoln,'  continued  Mr. 
Johnson,  'Was  earnest  of  his  policy  to  be  carried  out 
toward  the  subjugated  South.' 

"This  reasoning  at  the  time  seemed  unselfish  and 
logical,  and  I  agreed  with  him  that  the  supreme  mo- 
ment for  the  displacement  of  President  Lincoln  had 
arrived.  And  if  you  will  think  for  a  moment  of  the 
conditions  as  they  obtained  at  that  time,  in  Washing- 
ton City,  you  will  agree  with  me  that  it  was  impossible 
for  me,  a  mere  citizen,  a  civilian  without  influence, 
except  through  Yice-President  Johnson,  with  either 
the  civil  or  military  powers  at  Washington,  I  being  in 
no  way  connected  with  the  Federal  or  Confederate 
armies  and  following  my  vocation  as  an  actor,  at  my 
convenience  and  pleasure,  that  it  was  a  physical  im- 
possibility for  me  to  have  arranged  my  escape  through 
the  Federal  lines,  then  completely  surrounding  Wash- 
ington, through  which  I  had  to  go  and  did  pass  after 
the  accomplishment  of  the  death  of  President  Lincoln, 

74 


THE  MAN  KTTJJcn  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

for  at  this  time,  as  it  had  been  practically  during  the 
entire  Civil  War,  Washington  City  was  closely 
guarded  by  a  cordon  of  soldiers  thrown  completely 
around  it,  making  it  impossible  to  pass  in  or  out  of 
the  city  without  passing  through  this  well-guarded 
line,  and  this  only  could  be  done  by  officially  recog- 
nized permits,  and  even  with  these  permits  one  could 
not  pass  into  the  city  without  giving  a  full  account  of 
himself. 

"Now,  do  you  think  that  I  unaided  could  have 
arranged  for  my  escape?  Then,  think,  Gen.  U.  S. 
Grant  and  wife,  as  you  know,  were  to  attend  the 
theatre  with  President  and  Mrs.  Lincoln  on  that 
evening,  and  I  could  not  have  undertaken  to  go  into 
the  closed  box  so  unequally  matched  as  I  would  have 
been  with  both  President  Lincoln  and  Gen.  Grant 
there.  So,  the  absence  of  Gen.  Grant  was  arranged. 
Could  I  do  this  ?  History  records  the  fact  that  Gen. 
Grant  was  suddenly  called  from  the  City  of  Washing- 
ton late  in  the  afternon  of  the  evening  of  the  assas- 
sination of  President  Lincoln.  You  understand  that 
Gen.  and  Mrs.  Grant  were  the  guests  of  the  President 
and  Mrs.  Lincoln,  receiving  the  congratulations  of 
Mr.  Lincoln  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army,  only 
five  days  after  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee — accepting 
the  hospitality  of  the  President  and  Mrs.  Lincoln,  a 
compliment  extended  to  Gen.  Grant  on  account  of  his 

75 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

great  achievement  in  the  defeat  of  Robert  E.  Lee  and 
his  army  before  Richmond,  at  Appomatox,  and  this 
entertainment  at  Ford 's  theater  was  a  part  of  the  pro- 
gram for  their  entertainment,  and  was  to  mark  the 
first  public  appearance  together  of  President  Lincoln 
and  Gen.  Grant  as  the  greatest  heroes  of  the  Civil 
War  connected  with  the  Federal  army.  Whether  Gen. 
Grant 's  absence  was  a  mere  incident  I  can  not  say.  I 
only  know  that  Vice-President  Johnson  informed  me 
only  a  few  hours  before  the  killing  of  President  Lin- 
coln that  Gen.  Grant  would  not  be  in  attendance  with 
President  Lincoln  at  the  theatre.  How  he  knew  it,  I 
do  not  know.  But  I  do  know  that  I  would  not  have 
gone  into  the  box  and  locked  myself  inside  so  unevenly 
matched  as  I  would  have  been  with  Gen.  Grant  pres- 
ent, and  had  he  been  present  President  Lincoln  would 
not  have  been  killed  by  me  on  that  evening.  Knowing 
from  the  evening  papers  of  the  intended  presence  of 
Gen.  Grant,  one  of  my  conditions  for  attempting  the 
life  of  the  President  was  that  Gen.  Grant  should  not 
be  present,  and  it  is  a  physical  fact  that  he  was  not 
there.  Take  the  further  physical  fact  that  I  did  kill 
the  President,  and  that  I  did  pass  out  of  the  lines,  as 
directed  by  Mr.  Johnson,  without  molestation  at  the 
same  point  where  I  had  been  arrested  and  detained 
on  the  morning  of  the  same  day  I  killed  the  President ; 
that  I  approached  the  same  guarded  spot  with  my 

76 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT  THE  GARRETT  HOME. 

horse  under  whip  and  spur,  at  or  about  10:30  o'clock 
at  night,  when  upon  giving  the  pass  word  T.  B.  or 
T.  B.  Road  to  the  Federal  soldiers  then  guarding  the 
gate  at  the  bridge,  I  was  allowed  to  pass  out.  The 
guard  at  once  called  for  the  assistance  of  another 
guard  standing  close  by,  and  the  gate  was  hurriedly 
raised  and  without  further  question  I  rode  through, 
put  spur  to  my  horse  and  was  off  again  as  fast  as 
the  animal  could  go. 

"Likewise,  Herold,  my  accomplice,  was  permitted 
to  cross  the  bridge  by  the  same  guard,  by  the  use  of 
the  same  pass  word,  and  came  up  with  me  at  Surratt- 
ville.  These  physical  facts  stand  as  undeniable  proof 
of  my  official  aid  and  my  escape!  Taking  these 
facts  into  consideration,  who  can  say  or  doubt  for 
one  moment  that  I  was  assisted  by  one,  or  more, 
persons  high  in  official  circles,  as  well  as  in  military 
life?" 

"Then,  St.  Helen,  do  you  mean  to  say  that  Gen. 
Grant  was  a  party  to  or  cognizant  of  the  plot  against 
the  life  of  President  Lincoln?" 

"No,  I  do  not.  All  I  know  is  that  I  was  informed 
by  Vice-President  Johnson  that  Gen.  Grant  was  to  be 
in  the  box  with  President  Lincoln  on  that  evening.  I 
told  him  I  could  not  undertake  to  carry  out  the  plan 
against  the  life  of  the  President,  as  I  have  stated, 
should  Gen.  Grant  remain  in  the  box,  that  is,  should 


THE  MAN  KILLED  AT   THE   GARRETT   HOME. 

he  attend  the  theatre  and  occupy  the  box  with  Mr. 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Johnson  left  me  late  that  afternoon  to 
arrange  for  my  escape  and  on  his  return,  before  giving 
me  instructions  for  my  escape,  he  said  that  Gen.  Grant 
would  not  be  present.  How  he  knew  this  I  can  not 
say.  All  I  can  say  is  to  repeat  what  I  have  said.  All 
the  world  knows  that  Gen.  and  Mrs.  Grant  were  not 
in  the  box.  From  these  existing  physical  facts,  with 
no  accusation  by  innuendo,  or  otherwise,  you  must 
draw  your  own  conclusions.  My  own  fixed  opinion 
upon  this  subject,  however,  I  am  free  to  express  to 
you — and  I  confess  that  I  do  not  believe  that  Gen. 
Grant  knew  of  any  arrangements  being  made  to  kill 
President  Lincoln.  I  believe  rather  that  he  had  been 
decoyed  off  by  some  means,  unsuspected  by  him,  and 
certainly  not  known  to  me,  as  were  also  other  instances 
apparently  connected  with  the  assassination  of  the 
President.  For  instance,  I  knew  nothing  of  any  plan 
to  take  the  life  of  Secretary  Seward  on  the  night  of 
the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  or  at  any  other 
time,  showing  that  it  would  appear  to  have  been  a 
conspiracy  against  both  the  President  and  certain 
members  of  the  Cabinet." 

"While  your  story  may  be  true,  St.  Helen,  and  is 
apparently  sustained  by  the  facts  which  you  state, 
considering  your  statements  to  be  facts,  and  I  have  no 
information  for  a  successful  denial,  if  all  you  say  is 

78 


THE  MAN  KILLED   AT   THE   GARRETT   HOME. 

true,  it  in  no  way  identifies  you  as  John  Wilkes 
Booth.  Your  story  could  be  as  well  told  by  any  one 
else  of  your  genius  for  some  purpose  hidden  from  me, 
so  I  must  continue  to  know  you  as  John  St.  Helen." 
St.  Helen  replied,  ' '  Then  allow  me  to  say  that  your 
long  and  persistent  reasoning  that  I  am  not  John 
Wilkes  Booth  almost  persuades  me  that  I  am  in  fact 
John  St.  Helen.  Indeed,  I  am  quite  willing  that  you 
shall  believe  I  am  not  John  Wilkes  Booth.  However, 
I  realize  that  you  have  one  proof  of  my  identity — 
my  tintype  picture.  I  ask  that  you  will  keep 
that  picture,  which  may  be  the  means  of  my  complete 
identification  to  you  some  day,  when  you  will  better 
understand  that  my  confidence  in  you  has  been 
prompted  by  selfish  motives  to  a  certain  degree.  While 
your  continued  mistrust  and  disbelief  is  comforting 
to  me,  in  that  I  reflect  that  you,  after  all  that  I  have 
told  you,  for  the  reasons  that  you  have  given, -are  not 
willing  to  believe  me  the  criminal  that  I  am;  or,  if 
this  disbelief  arises  from  your  thinking  me  incapable 
of  the  crime  to  which  I  plead  guilty,  it  is  surely  grati- 
fying. But,  if  on  the  other  hand,  your  mistrust  arises 
from  your  opinion  that  I  am  unworthy  of  belief 
under  any  and  all  circumstances,  my  purposes  are 
thwarted  and  my  efforts  of  no  avail.  But  remember 
always  that  I  am  grateful  to  you  for  what  you  have 
done  for  me,  and  the  burden  you  share  with  me,  un- 

79 


THE  MAN   KILLED  AT   THE   GARRETT   HOME, 

wittingly,  whether  it  be  with  St.  Helen  or  with  Booth, 
and  in  the  future  as  in  the  past,  with  your  permission, 
we  will  be  friends.  Think  of  me  as  you  will,  my  true 
name  and  identity  you  have.  My  correct  personality 
you  know,  and  whether  we  long  associate  together  or 
soon  separate,  remember  you  are  the  one  man — the 
only  living  man  with  whom  I  leave  the  true  story  of 
the  tragedy  which  ended  the  life  of  President  Lin- 
coln." 

Closing  with  this  statement,  St.  Helen  left  me  in  an 
uncertain  frame  of  mind.  The  future  standing  as  a 
barrier  against  coming  events  I  was  not  prepared  at 
that  time  to  admit  that  St.  Helen  was  Booth.  I  was 
unwilling  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  believing 
that  St.  Helen  was  Booth.  Aside  from  my  better 
judgment  was  my  strong  faith  in  the  accuracy  of 
the  claims  of  my  government  that  John  Wilkes  Booth, 
the  assassin,  had  been  killed,  and  I  did  not  care  to  ac- 
quire the  unpleasant  notoriety  and  criticism  of  making 
the  announcement  that  John  Wilkes  Booth  in  fact 
lived,  unless  the  proof  of  such  a  fact  was  established 
irrefutably.  So,  I  determined  to  drop  the  subject  for 
all  time  to  come — treating  it  as  a  myth  unfounded  in 
fact — a  story  that  existed  only  in  the  mind  of  St. 
Helen,  a  comparatively  demented  man,  a  crank,  who 
gloried  in  deceiving  me  to  the  idea.  I  preferred  to 
accept  the  story  of  the  event  referred  to  as  it  is  told 

80 


THE   MAN   KILLED   AT    THE   GARRETT   HOME. 

by  the  government — the  accepted  facts  of  history 
rather  than  those  of  this  man  of  mystery.  And  in  our 
after  association,  lasting  about  ten  months,  we  made 
no  further  reference  to  the  subject,  which  was  avoided 
by  mutual  consent. 

Aside  from  this  unpleasant  side  of  St.  Helen's 
character  he  was  modest,  unobtrusive  and  congenial, 
ever  pleasant  in  association  with  '  me.  He  was  a 
social  favorite  with  all  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact, yet,  he  was  rather  the  social  autocrat  than  the 
social  democrat.  Except  for  a  select  few  he  held  all 
men  to  the  strictest  social  etiquette,  repelling  all 
undue  familiarity,  refusing  all  overtures  of  social 
equality  with  even  those  of  the  better  middle  classes 
of  men,  but  it  was  done  in  such  a  gentle  and  respect- 
ful way  that  no  affront  was  taken — if  such  it  could 
be  called,  it  was  more  pleasant  than  otherwise,  leav- 
ing the  impression  that  he,  St.  Helen,  would  be  de- 
lighted to  be  on  the  most  intimate  terms  with  the 
other,  but,  as  there  is  nothing  in  common  between 
us  more  than  a  respectful  speaking  relation,  it  is 
an  impossibility.  And  thus  he  made  friends  while 
he  drew  the  social  lines  and  pressed  home  a  con- 
sciousness of  his  own  superiority  as  an  entertainer. 

The  hours  of  our  social  life  were  pleasantly  spent, 
not  by  riotous  living  but  by  amusing  games  of  cards, 
recitations  and  readings  by  St.  Helen,  which  were 

81 


THE   MAN   KILLED   AT   THE   GARRETT 


always  a  great  treat,  and  which  he  himself  seemed 
to  enjoy,  as  did  his  friends. 

St.  Helen  often  admitted  that  in  his  younger  days 
he  sometimes  drank  to  excess  of  strong  whiskeys, 
wines,  etc.,  as  also  decoctions  of  brandy  and  cordials, 
but  during  our  associations  I  never  knew  of  his  tak- 
ing strong  drink  of  any  character,  nor  did  he  use 
tobacco  in  any  form,  and  in  the  absence  of  these 
habits  and  tastes  we  were  entirely  congenial,  as  I 
myself  had  never  cultivated  appetites  of  this  char- 
acter. We  were  also  lovers  of  literature  of  the  same 
class,  as  well  as  music  and  the  ftne  arts,  and  matters 
pertaining  to  the  stage.  We  enjoyed  the  gossip  of 
the  stage,  and  the  people  of  the  stage  came  in  for  a 
large  share  of  our  attention,  especially  St.  Helen's, 
who  talked  much  of  what  he  called  the  old  and  the 
new  school  of  acting,  with  which  I  became  con- 
versant, which  greatly  pleased  St.  Helen,  who 
frequently  made  reference  to  me  as  his  trained  asso- 
ciate, while  he  would  explain  that  men  became 
congenial  by  constant  association  linked  together  by 
the  common  mother,  kindred  thoughts,  the  off- 
spring of  blended  characters. 


82 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  SEPARATION 

St.  Helen  had  grown  tired  of  his  class  of  busi- 
ness. In  fact,  he  paid  little  attention  to  it,  letting 
it  drift  with  the  tide  of  business  affairs  in  the  little 
town  of  Grandberry.  Now  his  mind  turned  to 
thoughts  of  mining  and  the  acquisition  of  wealth  by 
the  development  of  mining  properties  in  Colorado. 
I  was  looking  to  other  fields  for  my  efforts  and  de- 
cided to  leave  Texas. 

When  the  final  hour  of  our  separation  came  I 
returned  to  the  States,  as  we  Westerners  termed 
the  older  States  in  the  Union,  and  St.  Helen  left  for 
Leadville,  Colorado,  in  the  spring  of  1878,  from 
which  point  I  lost  trace  of  him  until  some  time  in  the 
year  1898.  In  the  meantime  I  had  located  in  the 
city  of  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  St.  Helen  and  I 
were  far  apart — lost  to  each  other  and  comparatively 
forgotten  for  a  period  of  twenty  years. 

During  this  interval  of  time,  my  location  being 
more  convenient  to  books  and  the  acquiring  of  in- 
formation, I  investigated  the  subject  of  the  assassi- 
nation of  President  Lincoln  and  its  attendant  cir- 

83 


THE  SEPARATION. 

cumstances  in  view  of  the  statements  made  by  St. 
Helen.  He  had  connected  Andrew  Johnson  with 
the  plot  to  kidnap  and  assassinate  President  Lin- 
coln and  investigation  became  interesting  to  learn, 
if  possible,  the  relations,  personal  and  otherwise, 
existing  between  President  Lincoln  and  Viee-Presi- 
dent  Andrew  Johnson. 

In  this  search  I  find  that  the  oath  of  office  as 
President  of  the  United  States  was  administered  to 
Andrew  Johnson  by  Chief  Justice  Chase  in  the  lodg- 
ings of  Andrew  Johnson,  at  the  Kirkwood  Hotel, 
"Washington,  D.  C.,  and  that  besides  members  of 
the  Cabinet  a  number  of  United  States  Senators 
were  called  in  to  witness  the  ceremony.  At  this 
hour  but  few  of  the  citizens  of  Washington  knew 
that  President  Lincoln  was  dead.  The  inaugura- 
tion occurred  at  10  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April 
15,  1865,  President  Lincoln  having  died  at  twenty- 
two  minutes  past  7  o'clock  on  the  same  morning. 

At  his  informal  inauguration  President  Johnson 
made  a  speech  remarkable  in  that  he  made  no  men- 
tion of  President  Lincoln.  I  give  this  speech  in  part 
with  the  comments  thereon  by  those  present,  who 
say: 

"The  effect  produced  upon  the  public  by  this 
speech,  which  might  be  regarded  as  an  inaugural 
address,  was  not  happy.  Besides  its  evasive  charac- 

84 


THE  SEPAEATION. 

ter  respecting  public  policies,  which  every  observant 
man  noted,  with  apprehension,  an  unpleasant  im- 
pression was  created  by  its  evasive  character  re- 
specting Mr.  Lincoln.  The  entire  absence  of  eulogy 
of  the  slain  President  was  remarked.  There  was  no 
mention  of  his  name  or  of  his  character,  or  of  his 
office,  the  only  allusion  in  any  way  whatever  to  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  Mr.  Johnson's  declaration  that  he  'was 
almost  overwhelmed  by  the  announcement  of  the  sad 
event  which  has  so  recently  occurred.' 

"While  he  found  no  time  to  praise  one  whose 
praises  were  on  every  tongue,  he  made  ample  ref- 
erence to  himself  and  his  own  past  history,  and 
though  speaking  not  more  than  five  minutes,  it  was 
noticed  that  'I'  and  'my'  and  'me'  were  used  at  least 
a  score  of  times.  A  boundless  egotism  was  inferred 
from  the  line  of  his  remarks,  'My  past  public  life, 
which  has  been  long  and  laborious,  has  been  founded, 
as  I  in  good  conscience  believe,  upon  the  great  prin- 
ciple of  right  which  lies  at  the  base  of  all  things. ' 

"  'I  must  be  permitted  to  say,  if  I  understand 
the  feelings  of  my  own  heart,  I  have  long  labored  to 
ameliorate  and  alleviate  the  conditions  of  the  great 
mass  of  the  American  people. 

"  'Toil  and  an  honest  advocacy  of  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  free  government  have  been  my  lot.  The 
duties  have  been  mine,  the  consequence  God's.'  ' 

85 


THE  SEPARATION. 

r 

Senator  John  P.  Hale,  of  New  Hampshire,  who 

was  present  on  this  occasion,  said,  with  characteris- 
tic wit,  that — 

"Johnson  seemed  willing  to  share  the  glory  of  his 
achievements  with  his  Creator,  but  utterly  forgot 
that  Mr.  Lincoln  had  any  share  or  credit  in  the  sup- 
pression of  the  rebellion." 

Three  days  later,  April  18,  a  delegation  of  distin- 
guished citizens  from  Illinois  called  upon  Mr.  John- 
son under  circumstances  extraordinary  and  most 
touching.  The  dead  President  still  lay  in  the  White 
House,  before  the  solemn  and  august  procession 
should  leave  the  national  Capitol  to  bear  his  mortal 
remains  to  the  State  which  had  loved  and  honored 
him.  The  delegation  called  to  assure  his  successor 
of  their  respect  and  confidence,  and  in  reply  to  Gov. 
Oglesby,  the  spokesman  of  the  Illinois  delegation, 
Mr.  Johnson  responded  respecting  the  dead,  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  and  with  profound  emotion  of  the 
tragical  termination  of  Mr.  Lincoln 's  life.  He  said : 

"The  beloved  of  all  hearts  has  been  assassinated." 
He  then  paused  thoughtfully  and  added:  "And 
when  we  trace  this  crime  to  its  cause,  when  we  re- 
member the  source  from  whence  the  assassin  drew 
his  inspiration,  and  then  look  at  the  result,  we  stand 
yet  more  astounded  at  this  most  barbarous,  most  dia- 
bolical act.  Who  can  trace  its  cause  through  suc- 

86 


THE  SEPARATION. 

cessive  steps  back  to  that  source  which  is  the  spring 
of  all  our  woes?  No  one  can  say  that  if  the  perpe- 
trator of  this  fiendish  deed  be  arrested  he  should  not 
undergo  the  extremest  penalty  of  the  law  known 
for  crime.  None  can  say  that  mercy  should  inter- 
pose. But  is  he  alone  guilty?" 

I  charge  the  reader  in  the  light  of  the  facts  that 
have  been  written  and  the  statement  made  by  John 
St.  Helen,  that  you  compare  this  oration  of  Andrew 
Johnson  over  the  body  of  Lincoln  with  that  of  Marc 
Antony  over  the  dead  body  of  Caesar. 

The  character  and  force  of  Mr.  Johnson's  words 
were  anomalous  and  in  many  respects  contradic- 
tory. 

Mr.  Elaine  says  of  him  in  his  "Twenty  Years  in 
Congress:"  "Mr.  Johnson  by  birth  belonged  to 
that  large  class  of  people  in  the  South  known  as 
the  'poor  white.'  "  (Mr.  Elaine  should  have  said 
"Poor  white  trash,"  a  term  applied  to  a  disreputa- 
ble class  of  poor  white  people  who  would  be  equally 
unworthy  and  socially  ostracised  if  rich.  It  was  and 
is  no  disgrace  in  the  South  to  be  "poor,"  and  no  so- 
cial ostracism  extended  to  the  poor,  if  honorable.) 

"Many  wise  men  regarded  it  as  a  fortunate  cir- 
cumstance that  Mr.  Lincoln's  successor  was  from 
the  South,"  says  Mr.  Elaine,  "though  a  much  larger 
number  in  the  North  found  in  this  fact  a  source  of 

87 


THE  SEPARATION. 

disquietude,  saying  that  Mr.  Johnson  had  the  mis- 
fortune of  not  possessing  any  close  or  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  people  of  the  loyal  States ;  and  it 
was  found,  moreover,  that  his  relations  with  the 
ruling  spirit  of  the  South  in  the  exciting  period 
preceding  the  war  specially  unfitted  him  for  harmo- 
nious co-operation  with  them  in  the  pending  exi- 
gencies. (Vol.  II.,  page  3.) 

"Mr.  Johnson  had  been  during  his  entire  life  a 
Democrat,  and  had  attained  complete  control  of  the 
Democratic  party  in  the  State  of  Tennessee  and  had 
filled  various  official  positions  in  the  State,  and 
finally  that  of  Democratic  United  States  Senator 
from  the  State  of  Tennessee."  (Vol.  II.,  page  4.) 

I  pass-  the  above  quotations  without  further  com- 
ment than  to  challenge  the  thought  of  the  reader  to 
their  significance  to  the  political  relations  of  Andrew 
Johnson  with  the  Democratic  politics  of  the  State 
of  Tennessee.  In  this  connection  I  have  sought  to 
learn  something,  if  possible,  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  feel- 
ing toward  Vice-President  Johnson,  but  find  only  a 
few  sentences  in  written  history  touching  their  re- 
lations, which  are  recorded  by  William  H.  Herndon 
and  Jesse  "W.  Wierk,  in  their  biography  of  the  life 
of  Lincoln,  in  Volume  2,  at  page  232,  in  which  Mrs. 
Lincoln  speaks  as  follows : 

88 


THE  SEPARATION. 

"My  husband  placed  great  confidence  in  my 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  it  was  his  inten- 
tion to  remove  Seward  as  soon  as  peace  was  made  in 
the  South.  He  greatly  disliked  Andrew  Johnson. 
On  one  occasion  we  noticed  him  following  us  and  it 
displeased  Mr.  Lincoln  so  much  that  he  turned  and 
asked  in  a  loud  voice,  'Why  is  this  man,'  meaning 
Andrew  Johnson,  'forever  following  me?'  " 

Thus  we  have  conduct  suspicious  in  its  nature  of 
Andrew  Johnson  toward  Mr.  Lincoln.  And  the  world 
vrill  ask  of  all  mankind  the  same  question  Mr.  Lin- 
coln asked  of  his  wife.  And  why  was  it  that  An- 
drew Johnson  should  have  followed  Mr.  Lincoln? 
Does  St.  Helen's  story  explain  Johnson's  conduct — 
Johnson's  motives? 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  know  how 
Lincoln  passed  the  last  day  of  his  life.  Mrs.  Lin- 
coln says: 

"He  spent  the  last  day  of  his  life,  the  14th  day 
of  April,  1865,  by  taking  an  early  breakfast  and  at- 
tending a  Cabinet  meeting  at  11  o'clock,  at  which 
Gen.  Grant  was  present.  He  spent  the  afternoon 
with  Gov.  Oglesby,  Senator  Jones  and  other  friends 
from  Illinois." 

On  the  afternoon  of  this  day,  in  conversation  with 
Mr.  Colfax,  only  a  short  time  before  they  should  go 
to  the  theater,  Mr.  Lincoln  invited  Mr.  Colfax  to 

89 


THE  SEPARATION. 

attend  the  theater  with  him,  saying  that  he  had  se- 
cured a  box  at  Ford's  Theater  for  the  purpose  of  en- 
tertaining Gen.  Grant,  but  that  Gen.  Grant  had  just 
declined  the  invitation  and  had  left  the  city,  and 
that  he  (Lincoln)  did  not  want  the  people  entirely 
disappointed  in  their  expectation  of  seeing  both 
himself  and  Gen.  Grant  at  the  theater  that  evening, 
and  would  be  glad  to  have  Mr.  Colfax  accompany 
him,  taking  Gen.  Grant's  place.  This  Colfax  de- 
clined. 

It  has  always  been  an  interesting  question  to  me 
why,  and  how,  under  what  conditions  could  Gen. 
Grant  have  been  so  successfully  decoyed  away  from 
the  City  of  Washington  on  so  important  an  occa- 
sion, almost  at  the  hour  of  attending  this  theater 
party  in  company  with  President  Lincoln  as  the 
great  Federal  heroes  of  the  civil  war? 

Gen.  Grant,  in  explanation  of  the  occurrence,  says 
that  late  on  the  afternoon  in  question  he  received  a 
note  from  his  wife  expressing  some  frivolous  reasons 
as  to  why  they  should  leave  the  city  at  once  and 
visit  their  daughter,  I  believe,  in  Dubuque,  Iowa. 
He  says  that  on  reaching  Philadelphia  he  heard  of 
the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln  and  returned 
at  once  by  special  train  to  Washington.  These  facts 
of  history  I  likewise  present  to  the  public  mind  with- 
out comment.  I  trust,  however,  that  I  may  be  par- 

90 


THE  SEPARATION. 

doned  for  saying  here  that  I  esteem  my  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  Gen.  Grant  an  honor  and  a  privilege 
and  I  now  place  myself  on  record  in  vindication  of 
any  thought  or  charge  against  the  honor  or  integ- 
rity of  character  of  this  great  man,  and  make  men- 
tion of  this  incident  only  that  the  world  may  know 
the  facts,  as  told  me,  of  the  actions  and  conduct  of 
those  whose  names  were  in  any  way  linked  or  asso- 
ciated with  this  story. 


91 


CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH 

In  the  month  of  Uecember,  1897,  by  some  agency 
unknown  to  me,  I  found  a  copy  of  the  Sunday  edi- 
tion of  the  Boston  Globe,  dated  December  12,  1897, 
in  the  reception  hall  of  my  home.  How  this  paper 
came  to  be  in  my  home  is  unknown  to  me.  I  did 
not  take  it  by  subscription,  nor  have  I  or  any  mem- 
ber of  my  family  ever,  before  or  since,  purchased  a 
copy  of  the  Boston  Globe,  nor  has  a  copy  of  this 
paper  at  any  other  time  been  in  my  office  or  home. 
How  this  special  paper  came  to  my  home  is  a  com- 
plete mystery  to  myself  and  to  every  member  of  my 
household.  My  purpose  is  not  to  convey  the  idea 
that  the  presence  of  the  Boston  Globe  was  an  intru- 
sion in  my  home,  for  the  contrary  is  true,  because  it 
was  appreciated  and  read  with  great  interest,  and 
I  regard  it  as  worth  many  times  its  price  as  an  en- 
tertainer for  any  household.  I  take  pardonable 
pride  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts  and  its  people, 
for  this  State  has  been  the  home  of  my  ancestors 
and  kinsmen  since  the  year  1635. 

92 


GEN.   D.   D.   DANA. 

Under    Orders    of    Gen.     C.     C.     Augur,     Connected    With    the 
Army  at  Washington.    The  Pursuer  of  John  Wilkes  Booth. 


THE  PURSUIT   OF  BOOTH. 

The  point  is,  by  what  mysterious  means  did  this 
Sunday  edition  of  the  Boston  Globe,  containing  the 
first  published  statement  of  Gen.  D.  D.  Dana,  of 
Lubec,  Maine,  giving  a  full  account  of  his  knowl- 
edge respecting  the  assassination  of  President  Lin- 
coln, and  a  detailed  statement  of  his  pursuit  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  twenty-three  years  after  I  had  heard 
the  story  of  John  St.  Helen,  who  claimed  to  be  John 
"Wilkes  Booth.  To  my  surprise  the  story  of  Gen. 
Dana  corroborated  in  its  minutest  detail  the  story  St. 
Helen  told  to  me  in  his  confession  recounting  Booth 's 
escape  from  Washington,  D.  C.,  to  the  Garrett  home, 
in  Virginia. 

David  D.  Dana,  brother  of  Charles  A.  Dana,  the 
founder,  owner  and  publisher  of  the  New  York 
Sun,  in  December,  1897,  lived  in  a  small,  one-story 
frame  house  in  West  Lubec,  Maine.  This  being  the 
ancestral  home  of  his  wife's  people,  where  he  set- 
tled some  twenty  years  prior  to  December,  1897,  at 
the  time  when  the  opening  of  lead  mines  in  this  sec- 
tion promised  to  make  Lubec  famous  the  world  over, 
and  after  years  of  mining  with  indifferent  success, 
Gen.  Dana  settled  down  to  the  quiet  life  of  the 
farmer  with  his  wife  and  many  pets  as  companions, 
being  eight  miles  from  the  nearest  village.  But  he 

93 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

was  by  no  means  a  recluse,  being  well  informed  on 
all  current  events,  and  a  constant  reader  of  the  news- 
papers and  periodicals  of  the  day. 

Gen.  Dana's  story  is  given  in  full  below: 
1  'The  Boston  Sunday  Globe,  Dec.  12,  1897. 

"HE  ALMOST  SAVED  LINCOLN. 


"David  Dana,  Brother  of  Chas.  A.  Dana,  Tried  to  Prevent 

the  Assassination  of  the  Martyr  President — Now 

a  Dweller  in  Lubec,  Maine — He  Tells 

of   His   Pursuit   of   Booth. 


"Away  down  in  a  remote  corner  of  New  England, 
in  the  most  easterly  town  in  this  broad  country, 
dwells  the  man  who  alone  had  knowledge  before- 
hand of  the  meditated  assassination  of  Lincoln,  and 
who  tried  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  thwart  the 
conspiracy,  but  all  in  vain. 

"This  man,  David  Dana,  brother  of  the  late  Chas. 
A.  Dana,  is  a  most  unique  and  interesting  character, 
and  one  who  has  seen  his  full  share  of  life,  and  has 
been  a  part  of  the  most  stirring  events  in  our  coun- 

94 


THE  PUKSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

try's  history.  It  was  the  writer's  good  fortune  re- 
cently to  hear  him  tell  of  the  part  he  took  in  the  pur- 
suit of  the  assassin,  Booth,  and  his  accomplice,  Her- 
old.  Inasmuch  as  the  story  gives  facts  never  before 
laid  before  the  public,  the  recital  cannot  fail  to  be 
of  great  interest  to  every  one  who  has  ever  perused 
the  story  of  these  exciting  times. 

"  'In  the  spring  of  '65  I  was  near  Washington,' 
began  Mr.  Dana,  '  with  my  headquarters  at  Fort  Ba- 
ker, just  above  the  east  branch  of  the  Potomac.  It 
was  within  the  lines  of  the  Third  Brigade  of  Har- 
den's  Division,  Twenty-second  Corps,  commanded 
by  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur,  under  whom  I  was  provost 
marshal.  I  had  authority  over  nearly  all  those 
parts  of  Maryland  lying  between  the  east  branch  of 
the  Potomac  and  the  Patuxent  river.  This  part  of 
the  State  was  swarming  with  rebels,  and  I  was  com- 
missioned to  watch  all  their  movements  and  learn 
if  possible  of  any  plots  against  the  Federal  govern- 
ment. 

"  'While  patrolling  this  territory  I  learned  that  a 
plot  was  forming  against  the  government,  and  that 
the  blow  would  undoubtedly  be  aimed  against  the 
life  of  President  Lincoln.  I  at  once  asked  for  a  bat- 
talion of  veteran  cavalry,  in  addition  to  the  regu- 
lar provost  guard,  and  the  request  was  granted.  I 
was  ordered  to  establish  a  line  of  pickets  from  Fort 

95 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

Meigs  on  the  left  to  Geisboro  point  on  the  right, 
with  orders  to  permit  none  to  enter  the  city  of 
Washington  during  the  day  unless  they  could  give 
their  names,  where  they  were  from,  and  what  was 
their  business  at  the  Capitol. 

"  'From  sundown  to  sunrise  no  one  was  to  enter 
or  leave  the  city  except  in  case  of  sickness  or  death. 
All  suspicious  persons  were  arrested  and  sent  to  the 
commanding  general  for  examination. 

"On  Friday,  April  14, 1865,  two  men  appeared  be- 
fore the  guard  on  the  road  leading  into  Washington 
from  the  east.  Refusing  to  give  their  names  or  state 
their  business,  they  were  arrested  and  put  in  the 
guard  tent,  whence  they  were  to  be  sent  to  headquar- 
ters. .This  was  about  1  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  In 
an  hour  or  two  they  gave  their  names  as  Booth  and 
Herold. 

"  'The  officers  on  guard  under  me  carried  out  my 
orders  so  strictly  that  it  was  very  annoying  to  the 
rebel  sympathizers  who  wished  access  to  the  city,  so 
that  many  complaints  were  made  by  prominent  citi- 
zens of  Maryland. 

'  'About  4  p.m.  I  received  an  order  from  Gen.  Au- 
gur to  release  all  prisoners  held  by  the  guards  and 
to  withdraw  the  guard  until  further  orders.  I  sent 
an  orderly  to  the  officers  on  the  line  from  Fort  Meigs 
easterly,  with  orders  to  release  all  prisoners  and 

96 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

to  report  to  me  at  Fort  Baker.  On  the  line  from 
Fort  Meigs  to  Surrattville  I  went  in  person  and  with- 
drew the  guard  to  my  headquarters. 

"  'Booth  and  Herold  were  released  as  soon  as  the 
orders  reached  the  guard,  and  they  proceeded  at  once 
to  Washington,  reaching  there  about  6 :30  in  the  aft- 
ernoon. I  had  a  guard  at  each  end  of  the  bridge  on 
the  eastern  branch  of  the  Potomac  and  one  of  the 
guards  knew  Booth  and  recognized  him  as  he  rode 
into  the  city  and  as  he  came  out  after  the  assassina- 
tion, and  had  it  been  known  that  he  had  killed  Lin- 
coln escape  would  have  been  impossible. 

"  'I  returned  to  headquarters  about  11  p.  m.  and 
had  dismissed  the  guard  and  was  eating  supper,  when 
an  officer  rode  into  camp  with  the  startling  intel- 
ligence that  Lincoln  was  killed  and  that  the  murder- 
er, with  another  man,  had  ridden  at  a  rapid  pace  into 
the  country. 

"  'I  called  out  the  guard  and  sent  detachments  in 
different  directions  and  then  went  to  the  bridge  to 
learn  what  I  could  there.  On  my  way  I  met  a 
company  of  cavalry,  the  13th  New  York,  which  I 
ordered  to  patrol  the  river  to  Guisi  Point  and  learn 
all  they  could  and  then  return  to  Fort  Baker. 

"  'At  the  bridge  I  found  an  orderly  from  Gen. 
Augur  with  orders  for  me  to  report  to  him  at  Wash- 
ington without  delay.  I  did  so,  and  was  ushered 

97 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

into  his  presence,  where  I  found  him  standing  by  his 
desk  with  streaming  eyes. 

"  'My  God,  marshal,'  he  cried,  upon  seeing  me, 
'if  I  had  listened  to  your  advice  this  terrible  thing 
never  would  have  happened!' 

"  'After  conversing  with  him  for  a  few  moments 
I  was  appointed  adjutant  general  on  his  staff  and 
ordered  to  use  my  own  judgment  as  to  the  best  way 
of  capturing  Booth.  The  order  read  as  follows : 

"  '  To  Commanders  of  all  Divisions,  Brigades,  Regi- 
ments, Companies,  and  Posts:  You  will  obey  all 
orders  emanating  from  Adjt.  Gen.  and  Provost  Mar- 
shall D.  D.  Dana  the  same  as  though  especially  issued 
from  these  headquarters. 

.-**•  (Signed)  Maj.  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur, 

Commanding  22d  Corps  in  Dept.  of  "Washington. ' 
1  "  'While  with  Gen.  Augur  and  by  his  request  I  laid 
out  the  plan  for  the  capture  of  Booth.  First,  one  of 
the  swifest  steamers  which  could  be  obtained 
should  patrol  the  Potomac  as  far  as  the  Patuxent 
river  and  seize  all  boats  which  could  not  give  a  good 
accoun|;  of  themselves.  Then  a  steamer  should  be 
sent  up  the  Patuxent  and  all  boats  on  this  river  were 
to  be  seized  at  all  hazards  to  as  far  as  Horse  Head 
ferry. 

"  'These  orders  were  telegraphed  to  the  boats  on 
the  Patuxent  and  were  carried  out  to  the  letter.  The 

98 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

reason  was  this:  In  scouting  through  Maryland  I 
had  learned  that  a  boat  would  be  used  by  the  assas- 
sin, who  would  go  by  land  to  the  Patuxent,  thence 
across  to  the  Albert  river,  from  there  to  the  Atlantic 
coast,  and  thence  to  Mexico.  The  only  thing  that 
prevented  Booth's  escape  was  the  seizure  of  these 
boats. 

"  'I  returned  to  Fort  Baker,  left  orders  for  the 
cavalry,  who  were  out  scouting,  took  a  small  detach- 
ment of  my  own  guard  and  started  after  Booth,  tak- 
ing the  road  by  Surrattville  to  Bryantown.  As  we 
passed  by  the  Surratt  mansion  all  was  as  dark  as 
though  it  had  never  been  inhabited,  but  I  found  an 
old  man  and  woman  who  had  a  boy  sick  with  the 
smallpox.  Finding  that  no  information  could  be 
obtained  there,  from  the  old  man  or  his  wife,  I  took 
him  along  with  us  for  a  mile  and  a  half  to  a  secluded 
dell.  Refusing  to  give  the  desired  information,  I 
ordered  him  to  be  strung  up  to  the  limb  of  a  big 
oak  tree. 

"  'It  was  a  clear  night  with  the  moon  just  rising, 
its  silvery  glints  touching  the  tops  of  the  trees  in 
the  dell  and  the  flickering  light  of  the  campfire, 
which  the  men  had  kindled,  casting  fantastic  shad- 
ows here  and  there.  The  rope  was  made  fast  about 
the  old  man's  neck  and,  at  a  signal  from  me,  he  was 
hoisted  up  and  suspended  between  heaven  and  earth. 

99 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

It  was  a  weird  and  gruesome  scene,  there  in  the  light 
of  the  fire  and  moon  was  the  swaying  body  of  the 
man  struggling  in  his  futile  efforts  to  grasp  the  rope, 
while  the  spasmodic  action  of  his  body  and  the  gurg- 
ling sounds  from  his  throat  produced  an  effect  never 
to  be  forgotten. 

"  'I  ordered  him  to  be  cut  down  after  a  few  mo- 
ments and  he  was  resuscitated.  Rather  than  try  a 
second  pull  on  the  rope  he  told  me  that  Booth  and 
Herold  had  been  at  the  Surratt  mansion  and  had  had 
something  to  eat  and  drink  and  that  after  supper, 
though  Booth  was  badly  hurt,  they  had  mounted 
their  horses  and  rode  toward  Bryantown. 

"  'I  pushed  on  after  them  and  a  few  miles  from 
Bryantown  I  came  to  a  detachment  of  ten  men  under 
a  sergeant  as  patrol  guard  to  watch  suspicious  peo- 
ple in  that  section.  I  sent  the  sergeant  to  Port  To- 
bacco at  once,  and  ordered  the  troops  to  scout  up  the 
Patuxent  river  to  arrest  all  suspicious  persons  and 
to  report  to  me  at  Bryantown.  The  patrol  guard 
afterward  acknowledged  that  they  heard  the  clatter 
of  Booth's  and  Herold 's  horses'  feet  as  they  passed 
by  on  the  road  leading  to  Dr.  Samuel  Mudd's  to- 
ward Bryantown. 

"  'This  came  about  from  the  fact  that  a  short  dis- 
tance above  the  guard  was  a  road  leading  to  Dr. 
Mudd's,  who  resided  about  three  and  a  half  miles 

100 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

from  the  village,  and  this  road  the  pair  had  taken, 
reaching  the  doctor's  house  about  4  a.  m.,  about  two 
hours  ahead  of  my  troops. 

"  'I  arrived  at  Bryantown  about  6  o'clock,  and  at 
once  placed  guards  at  all  the  roads  leading  into  the 
village,  with  orders  that  anyone  might  enter  the  town 
but  that  none  were  to  leave  it.  About  2  o  'clock  that 
afternoon  the  detachment  of  troops  from  Port  To- 
bacco reached  me.  In  the  meantime  troops  had  been 
sent  to  Woodbine  ferry  and  Horsehead  ferry,  all  the 
boats  had  been  seized  and  all  crossing  of  the  river 
had  been  stopped. 

"  'By  taking  possession  of  these  positions  and  seiz- 
ing the  ferry  boats  and  by  closely  guarding  the  line 
of  the  river  Booth 's  chances  of  escape  this  way  were 
cut  off.  Could  he  have  got  across  the  Patuxent  river 
into  Calvert  county,  he  would  most  certainly  have 
reached  Mexico  in  safety. 

"  'After  Booth  and  Herold  arrived  at  Dr.  Mudd's 
Booth's  leg  was  set,  and  after  giving  them  their 
breakfast,  the  doctor  made  a  crutch  for  Booth  and 
fixed  him  up  ready  to  start  at  an  instant's  notice. 

"  'Dr.  Mudd  came  into  Bryantown  at  2  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  and  stayed  there  until  8  or  9  in  the 
evening,  when  a  cousin  of  his,  Dr.  George  Mudd, 
asked  as  a  personal  favor,  a  pass  for  him  through  the 
lines.  After  closely  questioning  Samuel  Mudd  and 

101 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

believing  him  to  know  nothing  of  Booth,  and  having 
confidence  in  what  his  cousin  said,  I  let  Dr.  Samuel 
Mudd  go. 

"  'During  the  doctor's  long  absence  Booth  got  un- 
easy and  sent  Herold  on  horseback  to  Bryantown. 
Learning  that  troops  were  in  the  town,  he  tied  his 
horse  to  a  large  clump  of  willows  that  grew  on  the 
side  of  a  stream  near  the  road,  and  there  watched 
for  Dr.  Mudd's  return. 

"  'When  the  doctor  made  his  appearance  Herold 
came  out  and  the  two  returned  to  the  doctor's  house. 
Booth  was  anxious  to  leave  at  once,  but  the  good 
doctor  assured  him  that  there  was  no  danger  that 
night. 

' '  '  George  Mudd,  let  me  say  in  passing,  never  inti- 
mated to  me  that  his  friend  was  a  doctor,  or  was  a 
relative  of  his.  I  learned  the  next  day,  when  it  was 
too  late,  that  his  cousin  was  a  rank  rebel,  and  I 
plainly  told  George  Mudd  what  I  thought  of  him. 
,V  'The  fugitives  left  Dr.  Mudd's  early  the  next 
morning  and  took  the  road  for  Horsehead  ferry. 
When  within  two  and  one-half  miles  of  the  ferry 
they  saw  a  man  of  about  sixty  years  leaning  on  a 
fence  in  front  of  his  house ;  Booth  rode  up  and  asked 
him  if  he  had  heard  the  news  of  Lincoln  being  killed. 
He  said  yes,  he  had  heard  it  from  some  troops  that 
had  arrived  at  the  ferry.  Booth  asked  him  if  there 

102 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

were  any  troops  then  at  Horsehead  ferry  and  the 
man  told  him  there  were. 

"  'Booth  got  a  drink  of  water  and  wanted  a  drink 
of  whiskey,  but  the  old  man  had  none.  He  asked  the 
men  who  they  were,  and  Booth  answered:  "Detec- 
tives looking  for  Booth  and  Herold."  "What  are 
you  doing  with  a  crutch?"  was  the  rejoinder. 

' '  '  The  assassin  explained  that  his  horse  had  stum- 
bled and  had  fallen  upon  him,  hurting  his  leg  very 
badly.  They  asked  the  way  to  Woodbine  ferry,  and 
being  directed,  set  off  at  a  brisk  trot. 

"  'When  within  two  miles  of  Woodbine  ferry  they 
met  an  old  darkey  and  inquired:  "How  far  is  it  to 
the  ferry?"  Upon  being  told  they  asked  him  the 
news.  "Massa  Lincum's  killed  an'  Woodbine  ferry's 
chock  full  of  troops."  "How  many,  uncle?"  asked 
Booth.  "Golly,  massa,  dere's  more'n  a  hundred! 
Dey's  swarming  like  bees!"  answered  the  negro. 

"  'The  horsemen  rode  on  a  short  distance  through 
a  gate  into  a  mowing  field,  and  there  all  trace  of  their 
horses'  footprints  were  lost.  But  they  returned  to 
the  vicinity  of  Dr.  Mudd's  and  entered  the  Sekiah 
swamp  from  the  east,  where  they  spent  two  days  and 
two  nights,  being  supplied  with  food  by  friends  near 
by. 

"  'I  had  made  arrangements  for  a  detachment  of 
troops  to  scour  the  swamp  with  a  guide,  when  a 

103 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH 

heavy  storm  came  up  and  made  it  impossible.  Had 
I  done  so  I  certainly  would  have  caught  them,  as 
they  did  not  leave  until  2  or  3  o'clock  that  day. 
When  my  troops  reached  the  island  the  next  day 
they  found  where  the  horses  had  been  tethered,  and 
the  very  moss  where  Booth  and  Herold  had  slept. 
They  also  found  the  pieces  of  blanket  with  which 
their  horses'  hoofs  had  been  muffled.  How  they 
made  their  way  from  Woodbine  ferry  to  the  swamp 
is  a  mystery.  It  could  only  have  been  done  by  wrap- 
ping the  horses'  feet  in  blankets. 

"  'The  different  movements  they  made  from  the 
time  of  the  assassination  to  their  reaching  Sekiah 
swamp  shows  that  they  had  their  course  all  laid  out 
beforehand.  They  knew  where  to  go  and  who  their 
friends  were  and  were  only  prevented  from  escap- 
ing by  the  rapid  movements  of  the  troops  under  my 
command. 

"  'Sekiah  swamp  lies  a  short  distance  nearly  west 
of  Bryantown.  It  is  full  of  quagmires  and  sinkholes 
and  is  exceedingly  dangerous  to  enter  except  by  day- 
time. Even  then  great  caution  is  required  unless 
a  person  is  acquainted  with  the  swamp.  Booth  and 
Herold  must  have  had  a  guide  both  going  in  and 
coming  out. 

104 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

"  'They  never  could  have  got  their  horses  there 
alone;  to  attempt  it  would  have  been  the  last  of 
them. 

"  'There  is  a  small  stream  running  through  the 
swamp,  but  large  enough  to  float  a  small  boat.  It 
discharges  into  the  Patuxent  river.  After  leaving 
the  swamp  the  fugitives  went  to  a  log  cabin  in  a 
thick  growth  of  pines  and  underbrush  quite  distant 
from  any  road.  It  was  the  dwelling  of  a  man  named 
Jones,  who  had  a  negress  for  a  housekeeper.  It  was 
in  that  scrubby  pine  and  underbrush,  back  of  the 
house,  that  the  two  horses  were  killed  and  buried. 

"Here  Booth  and  Herold  were  kept  three  or  four 
days,  when  they  were  taken  by  boat  down  the  out- 
let of  the  swamp  to  a  point  below  where  the  troops 
were  stationed,  and  from  there  they  were  carried  in 
a  wagon  to  a  point  on  the  Patuxent  nearly  opposite 
Aquia  creek.  From  here  they  were  taken  across  the 
Potomac  and  made  their  way  to  Garrett  's  near  Bowl- 
ing Green,  where  Booth  was  killed. '  ' ' 

A  Bay  State  soldier  corroborates  in  part  the  story 
of  Gen.  David  A.  Dana,  as  well  as  that  of  St.  Helen. 
This  soldier  was  stationed  at  the  bridge  crossing  the 
East  Potomac  river,  on  the  road  leading  into  Wash- 
ington, which  John  Wilkes  Booth  crossed  going  into 
Washington  City  and  again  on  his  return  after  the 

105 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

assassination  the  evening  of  the  same  day.    This  man 
is  Mr.  F.  A.  Demond,  and  I  give  his  letter  in  full : 
"Mr.  D.  D.  Dana : 

"Dear  Sir  and  Comrade — I  was  very  much  inter- 
ested in  reading  your  account  of  how  you  tried  to 
prevent  the  assassination  of  the  late  President  Lin- 
coln, as  published  in  The  Globe  of  yesterday.  It 
brought  back  old  memories  to  me  of  away  back  in 
'64,  as  I  was  a  member  of  your  old  provost  guard, 
with  headquarters  at  Fort  Baker. 

"Well  do  I  remember  those  days.  I  was  detailed 
from  my  company — Co.  C.,  Capt.  A.  W.  Brigham, 
then  stationed  at  Fort  Mahan — and  ordered  to  report 
to  you  at  Fort  Baker  for  duty  on  provost  guard.  I 
did  so,  and  was  employed  guarding  prisoners,  sawing 
wood  and  going  down  to  Uniontown  searching  for 
soldiers  without  passes.  After  a  short  time  of  ser- 
vice at  headquarters  I,  with  some  others  from  your 
command,  was  sent  to  guard  the  bridge  leading  from 
Washington  to  Uniontown,  down  by  the  navy  yard. 

"I  was  stationed  at  the  Uniontown  end  of  the 
bridge  where  the  gates  were  hung  to  stop  people 
from  going  to  Washington.  I  was  under  the  orders 
of  Corp.  Sullivan — I  think  that  was  his  name — and 
the  command  at  the  other  end  of  the  bridge,  the 
Washington  side,  was  under  Sergt.  Cobb. 

106 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

"I  was  present  the  night  that  Booth  and  Herold 
crossed  after  Booth  had  shot  the  President,  but  was 
not  on  post.  I  stood  in  the  door  of  the  block  house 
when  Booth  rode  up  and  heard  him  ask  the  guard 
if  anyone  had  gone  through  lately.  I  heard  the  guard 
on  the  post  answer  him,, 'No/  and  ask  him  what  he 
was  doing  out  there  this  time  of  night  ? 

"He  made  some  kind  of  answer  about  going  to 
see  some  one  who  lived  out  on  the  T.  B.  road.  I  did 
not  pay  much  attention  at  this  time  to  what  they 
were  talking  about.  I  helped  open  the  gate  and  he 
rode  through. 

"A  short  time  after  this  Herold  rode  over  the 
bridge  and  asked  if  there  had  been  anyone  through 
mounted  on  a  bay  horse.  Upon  being  told  that  there 
had,  he  muttered  something  about  being  a  pretty 
man  not  to  wait  for  him. 

"Well,  we  opened  the  gate  and  let  him  through 
and  he  rode  off  in  a  hurry.  About  twenty  minutes 
later,  I  should  say,  we  heard  a  great  uproar  across 
the  bridge  and  in  a  short  time  got  word  of  the  as- 
sassination. If  we  had  only  known  it  sooner  neither 
one  of  them  would  have  passed  us,  as  I  would  have 
shot  them  as  quickly  as  I  would  a  mad  dog.  But  it 
was  too  late ;  they  were  out  of  sight  and  hearing  by 
that  time. 

"I  remember  when  you  came  down  to  meet  some- 

107 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

one  that  was  waiting  on  the  Washington  side,  but 
never  knew  who  it  was  until  I  read  the  account  given 
by  you  in  The  Sunday  Globe.  I  remember  of  your 
going  in  pursuit,  and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  one  of 
Co.  C.  's  boys,  Charles  Joise,  was  with  you. 

"Excuse  my  writing  to  you,  but  I  was  so  glad  to 
hear  from  you,  Lieutenant,  that  I  had  to  let  you 
know  that  one  of  your  old  boys  was  still  living. 
Hoping  sometime  to  see  you  on  a  visit  to  me  up  here, 
I  remain,  yours  with  great  respect, 

"F.  A.  Demond,  Cavendish,  Vt. 

"Late  private  Co.  C.,  Third  Heavy  Artillery,  Mas- 
sachusetts Volunteers." 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  statements  made  by 
Gen.  D.  D.  Dana,  supported  by  the  letter  of  Mr.  F. 
A.  Demond,  corroborate  the  statements  and  confes- 
sions made  to  me  by  John  St.  Helen  (claiming  him- 
self to  be  Booth)  more  than  twenty-five  years  prev- 
ious to  Dana's  publication.  That  the  statements  of 
Gen.  Dana  and  St.  Helen,  or  Booth,  should  differ  in 
immaterial  details  is  not  surprising,  but  the  main 
points  agree — that  is,  St.  Helen  says,  he  (Booth)  and 
Herold  were  returning  to  Washington  City  on  the 
morning  of  April  14th,  1865 ;  that  they  were  arrested 
and  detained  at  the  block  house  located  at  the  bridge 
over  the  east  branch  of  the  Potomac ;  that  they  were 
released  and  went  into  Washington  from  this  bridge ; 

108 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

that  Booth  was  recognized  at  the  time  of  his  de- 
tention at  the  East  Potomac  bridge;  that  after  the 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln  Booth  and  Her- 
old  returned  over  the  same  route  over  which  they 
came  into  the  city,  crossing  the  East  Potomac  bridge, 
which  is  also  the  route  leading  to  Uniontown,  men- 
tioned by  Demond ;  that  in  crossing  said  bridge  and 
passing  the  guards  they  used  the  pass  words  "T. 
B.,'  or  "T.  B.  Road."  It  is  undeniably  a  fact  that 
Booth  is  corroborated  in  his  statements  that  arrange- 
ments had  been  made  for  his  escape;  that  he  did 
escape  from  Washington  through  the  Federal  lines, 
is  confessedly  true,  though  the  city  was  completely 
surrounded  and  guarded  by  the  22d  Army  Corps, 
composed  of  many  thousands  of  union  men,  an  army 
within  itself,  charged  with  the  duty  of  protecting 
the  City  of  Washington  and  guarding  the  life  of 
President  Lincoln  against  danger,  which  Dana  says 
he  knew  was  threatened,  and  he  had  known  it  for 
months  prior  to  the  President's  assassination. 

In  comparing  the  statements  of  St.  Helen,  or 
Booth,  with  that  of  Gen.  Dana,  made  twenty  or  twen- 
ty-five years  after  the  occurrences,  we  find  that  Gen. 
Dana's  statement  published  in  the  city  of  Boston  in 
1897,  is  almost  a  verbatim  copy  of  that  made  by  St. 
Helen  to  me  in  the  State  of  Texas,  though  more  than 
two  thousand  miles  of  territory  divided  them  and  a 

109 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

difference  in  time  of  some  years  intervened.  These 
statements  could  not  have  been  preconcerted,  and  be- 
cause of  these  conditions,  each  corroborating  the 
other,  the  accounts  of  the  affair  bear  the  stamp  of 
physical  truth. 

The  reader  will  not  fail  to  note  with  anxious  con- 
cern, and  demand  explanation  of  the  statement  of 
Gen.  Dana,  when  he  says: 

"The  life  of  the  President  (Lincoln)  was  then  (on 
the  14th  day  of  April,  1865)  known  to  be  in  immin- 
ent and  impending  danger,  and  so  well  was  this 
known  to  him  and  others,  that  he  asked  and  obtained 
an  extra  force  of  mounted  men  to  better  guard  the 
life  of  the  President  (Lincoln),  and  the  lines  of 
protection  had  been  tightened  around  Washington 
City  in  every  precautionary  way,  looking  to  the  safe- 
ty of  the  life  of  the  President,  then  threatened.  Be- 
ing thus  forewarned,  forearmed  and  fully  prepared 
to  guard  against  a  danger  known  to  him,  why  was 
it  that  without  a  change  in  these  conditions,  the  life 
of  the  President  still  threatened,  without  increase  of 
hope  for  his  safety,  or  promised  immunity,  rumored 
or  otherwise,  danger  to  which  the  commanding  of- 
ficer, Major  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur,  and  himself,  Gen. 
Dana,  were  admittedly  advised  of,  John  "Wilkes 
Booth,  the  assassin,  a  known  Southern  sympathizer 
who  constitute  one  of  the  class  of  men  from  whom 

110 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

the  officers  expected  the  attempted  assault  on  the 
President  with  the  purpose  of  taking  his  life,  of 
which  they  had  been  warned,  was  permitted  to  enter 
the  city  less  than  eight  hours  before  the  assassina- 
tion under  his  own  name  of  John  Wilkes  Booth? 
And  Herold,  Booth's  accomplice,  was  also  permitted 
to  enter  with  him.  They  entered  the  city  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  cause  suspicion  of  their  conduct  and 
purpose,  were  arrested  and  detained  for  a  number  of 
hours  at  the  East  Potomac  bridge.  Yet  they  were 
permitted  to  leave  the  city,  returning  over  the  very 
bridge  where  they  had  been  held  prisoners  only 
eight  hours  before.  They  approached  the  bridge 
under  circumstances  that  should  have  excited  sus- 
picion, the  same  suspicious  characters  who  had 
been  detained  but  a  few  hours  before,  and  yet  were 
permitted  to  pass  the  guards  without  arrest  by 
simply  giving  the  pass  word  "T.  B."  or  "T.  B. 
Road,"  which  was  meaningless,  unless  understood  by 
the  guard  on  duty. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Gen.  Dana  says  that 
the  strictest  orders  had  been  given  to  the  guards  to 
permit  no  one  to  pass  at  night,  except  on  account  of 
sickness  or  death,  and  that  all  suspicious  characters 
were  to  be  arrested  and  sent  to  headquarters  to  be 
examined  by  the  commanding  officer,^  Gen.  C.  C. 
Augur.  If  these  orders  were  to  be  carried  out  by  the 

ill 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

guards  they  were  violated  because  it  was  night  and 
the  reason  given  by  Booth  to  pass  out  was  neither 
sickness  or  death.  It  can  not  be  denied  that  the 
approach  of  Booth  and  Herold  to  this  bridge,  from 
the  city  about  ten  thirty  ,  o 'clock  at  night,  their 
horses  under  full  spur,  at  a  high  rate  of  speed, 
necessarily  created  suspicion  in  the  minds  of  the 
guards,  under  circumstances  to  be  remembered. 
Booth,  a  suspicious  character,  first  approached,  giv- 
ing the  words  "T.  B.,"  or  "T.  B.  Road,"  and  was 
passed,  while  Herold,  also  a  suspicious  character  it 
seems,  passed  the  guards  by  simply  inquiring  if  a 
man  had  passed,  and  describing  Booth.  A  few  min- 
utes later,  coming  in  hot  pursuit,  the  livery  man 
and  owner  of  the  horse  ridden  by  Herold  reached 
the  bridge,  chasing  Herold  and  just  behind  him,  was 
stopped  and  made  to  tell  his  purpose,  which  was: 

That  he  wanted  to  overtake  Herold,  who  was  rid- 
ing away  with  his  horse ;  that  the  President  had  been 
shot  and  that  Booth  and  Herold  were  guilty  and 
were  escaping.  It  seems  that  this  excuse  was  not 
sufficient  for  the  guard  on  duty,  and  the  owner  of 
the  horse,  the  leader  of  the  chase  after  the  escaping 
criminals,  was  turned  back.  (This  was  the  commotion 
of  which  Mr.  Demond  speaks  when  they  learned  of 
the  shooting  of  President  Lincoln  and  the  incident 
mentioned  by  Secretary  John  Hay  in  his  public  ut- 

112 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

terance  when  referring  to  the  passing  of  Booth  and 
Herold  over  the  bridge  and  the  pursuit  of  the  owner 
of  the  horse  ridden  by  Herold,  when  he  says,  "Booth 
and  Herold  were  permitted  to  pass  and  the  only  hon- 
est man  who  sought  to  pass  was  stopped.") 

In  this  connection  we  have  no  information  from 
history  or  Gen.  Dana,  from  whom  such  information 
should  come,  that  the  guard  who  allowed  Booth  and 
Herold  to  pass  was  disciplined  for  the  violation  of 
orders.  It,  therefore,  stands  to  reason  that  the 
guard  was  not  punished  but  was  simply  carrying 
out  orders  in  passing  Booth,  and  Herold  his  ac- 
complice, and  also  in  refusing  to  allow  others  to 
pass.  But  is  the  situation  explained  by  Gen.  Dana, 
who  says  that  the  orders  prohibited  the  passing  of 
persons  through  the  lines,  except  upon  conditions 
mentioned,  and  that  he  had  individually  taken  in 
the  guards  at  the  East  Potomac  bridge,  which  he 
had  not. 

The  question  is,  what  interest  did  he  have — or 
why  should  Dana  individually  do  this,  and  intrust 
his  orders  at  all  other  points  to  be  delivered  by  an 
orderly?  What  special  interest,  I  ask,  should  Dana 
have  had  in  this  identical  spot,  through  which 
Booth  was  later  to  escape  when  he  had  killed  Presi- 
dent Lincoln? 

113 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

Gen.  Dana,  himself,  confesses  that  he  went  to  the 
East  Potomac  bridge  and  gave  his  orders  in  person. 
And,  again,  I  ask,  What  were  those  orders?  His- 
tory does  not  record.  He  does  not  say.  The  only 
answer  is  the  act  of  the  guard.  Let  the  world  inter- 
pret what  those  orders  were.  It  is  true,  because  it 
was  a  physical  fact,  the  guard  was  on  duty — Booth 
was  allowed  to  pass  on  giving  the  pass  word  "T. 
B.;"  Herold,  his  accomplice,  was  allowed  to  pass. 
Was  the  guard  obeying  orders  when  he  allowed 
Booth  and  Herold  to  pass  and  turned  back  "the 
only  honest  man,"  the  man  in  pursuit?  If  this  act 
of  the  guard  was  a  violation  of  orders  he  was  caught 
red-handed  and  should  have  been  punished  as  a 
particeps  criminis  for  the  crime  of  the  assassination 
of  President  Lincoln.  The  penalty  for  which,  under 
the  order  of  Secretary  Stanton  of  April  20th,  1865, 
making  all  those  who  aided  Booth  in  his  escape 
guilty  of  his  (Booth's)  crime,  was  punishable  by 
death.  Then,  I  ask,  why  was  not  this  punishment 
meted  out  to  the  men  who  alone  had  it  in  their 
power  to  prevent  the  escape  of  Booth  and  Herold, 
but  who  did,  knowingly,  permit  them  to  escape? 

Further,  Gen.  Dana  says  that  the  orders  were  for 
calling  in  the  guards  to  his  headquarters,  located 
at  Fort  Baker,  and  that  he  individually  gave  the 
orders  at  the  East  Potomac  bridge ;  that  these  orders 

114 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

were  issued  to  him  (Dana)  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  of  April  14th,  1865,  by  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur. 

The  reader  is  asked  to  note  the  significance  of  the 
fact  that  at  about  this  hour  St.  Helen  (Booth)  says 
that  he  and  Vice-President  Johnson  had  separated 
at  the  Kirkwood  hotel,  Johnson  going  to  arrange 
for  Booth's  escape.  Is  this  order  to  Dana  from  his 
superior  commanding  officer,  Major  Gen.  C.  C. 
Augur,  an  echo  of  Johnson's  mission? 

Again,  Gen.  Dana  says  that  in  pursuance  to  these 
orders  the  guards  were  removed  to  his  headquar- 
ters at  Fort  Baker.  But  it  is  a  physical  fact  that  at 
ten  thirty  o'clock  p.  m.,  when  Booth  crossed  the 
bridge,  the  guards  had  not  been  removed;  and  if 
removed  at  all  it  was  done  after  this  as  a  subterfuge 
for  carrying  out  the  order  to  call  in  the  guards, 
which  seems  to  have  been  the  case.  For  true  it  is 
that  Gen.  Dana  says  he  had  not  reached  his  head- 
quarters with  this  guard  until  about  eleven  o'clock 
p.  m.  that  night  and  was  eating  his  evening  meal 
when  he  first  received  word  of  the  shooting  of  the 
President. 

Any  one  knowing  the  distance  from  the  East 
Potomac  bridge  to  Fort  Baker  will  readily  under- 
stand how  Gen.  Dana,  together  with  his  guards, 
mounted  and  leaving  the  East  Potomac  bridge  at 
about  ten  thirty  o'clock  could  reach  Fort  Baker  at 

115 


THE  PURSUIT   OF  BOOTH. 

or  about  eleven  o'clock.  This  would  make  the  state- 
ments of  Gen.  Dana  consistent,  and  this  I  believe 
to  be  a  correct  explanation  of  his  seeming  contra- 
diction in  respect  to  the  matter  of  withdrawing  the 
guards  from  the  East  Potomac  bridge,  which  respon- 
sibility he  personally  assumed  and  for  which  he  will 
be  held  responsible. 

However  this  may  be,  it  is  true  that  the  guards 
were  on  duty  at  the  bridge  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact 
and  of  history,  whether  intentionally  or  unintention- 
ally, did  assist  Booth  and  his  accomplice  in  passing 
the  line,  and  equally  true  that  they  did  refuse  to 
allow  the  owner  of  the  horse  ridden  by  Herold  to 
pass  a  few  minutes  later.  Then,  I  ask,  why  this 
discrimination  against  the  man  in  pursuit  of  the 
fleeing  assassin  and  his  accomplice?  This  can  only 
be  answered  by  the  guards,  or  Gen.  Dana.  Unless 
the  conduct  of  the  guards  explains.  But,  legally 
holding  these  men  responsible  for  the  necessary  con- 
sequence of  their  acts,  they  did  aid  Booth  in  his 
escape,  while  all  the  circumstances  attendant  upon 
Booth's  passing  of  the  guards  tend  to  establish 
their  guilty  knowledge,  or  the  guilty  knowledge  and 
conduct  of  their  superior  officers. 

At  this  eleventh  hour,  while  he  was  yet  at  his 
meal,  Gen.  Dana  says  he  was  ordered  before  Gen. 
C.  C.  Augur,  but  then  too  late,  as  the  crime  had  been 

116 


THE  PURSUIT   OF  BOOTH. 

already  committed  and  the  assassin  had  escaped  the 
confines  of  the  military  powers  of  Washington. 

Gen.  Dana,  on  reaching  the  headquarters  of  Gen. 
Augur,  found  him  in  tears  and  his  first  words  were : 
"My  God,  marshal,  if  I  had  listened  to  your  advice 
this  terrible  thing  would  never  have  happened." 

I  ask,  and  the  civilized  world  listens  for  the  reply 
— What  had  Gen.  Dana  advised  Gen.  Augur  touch- 
ing the  safety  of  the  President,  and  "this  terrible 
thing,"  as  he  calls  it,  prior  to  the  assassination, 
which,  in  Gen.  Augur's  opinion,  if  heeded,  would 
have  prevented  the  killing  of  President  Lincoln  ?  Is 
this  a  self-accusation — an  unwitting  admission  of 
his  responsibility  for  the  death  of  President  Lin- 
coln? This  expression  of  self -accusation,  taken  in 
connection  with  Gen.  Augur's  surprising  and  unex- 
plained order,  issued  about  four  o'clock  on  April 
14th,  1865,  in  face  of  the  known  and  impending 
danger  to  the  life  of  President  Lincoln,  is  startling. 
The  withdrawing  of  the  guard  from  the  protection 
of  the  President  on  the  late  afternoon  of  the  evening 
of  his  assassination  has  never  been  explained.  And 
the  bloody  deed  was  accomplished  in  less  than  six 
hours  after  the  order  of  withdrawal  was  issued,  and 
before  the  ink  was  well  dry  on  the  record  which 
changed  the  policy  of  the  government  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  life  of  the  President,  long  guarded  by 

117 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

a  well-maintained  standing  army  at  Washington, 
and  made  possible  the  escape  of  the  assassin.  With- 
out reason,  without  explanation  and  without  re- 
quest, and  without  suggestion  even,  of  the  President, 
or  any  other  person  in  authority  in  the  army  superi- 
or in  command  to  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur,  this  important 
move  was  made,  changing  the  fixed  plans  and  tear- 
ing down  the  barriers  of  protection  so  long  deemed 
necessary  by  the  government  as  a  wise  and  pruden- 
tial policy,  upon  the  authority  and  orders  only  of 
Gen.  C.  C.  Augur,  so  far  as  we  are  informed  by 
Gen.  Dana. 

In  the  light  of  events  following  this  mysterious 
order,  we  ask,  to  what  conduct  of  his  or  advice  of 
Gen.  Dana  could  Major  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur  refer  as 
his  failure  to  listen  to  Gen.  Dana?  Could  it  have 
been  that  Dana  had  advised  the  holding  of  Booth 
and  Herold  while  they  were  yet  prisoners  at  the 
block  house,  at  the  East  Potomac  bridge?  Or  had 
he,  against  the  advice  or  knowledge  of  Gen.  Dana, 
entered  into  the  plans  of  conspiracy  against  the  life 
of  President  Lincoln? 

One  would  infer  from  the  statements  imputed  to 
him  by  Gen.  Dana  that  Major  Gen.  Augur  had  had 
it  in  his  power,  and  was  so  advised  by  Gen.  Dana, 
to  save  the  life  of  the  President  and  had  failed  to  do 
so  and  that,  too,  against  the  admonitions  of  Gen. 

118 


THE  PURSUIT   OF  BOOTH. 

Dana,  to  which  he  (Augur)  had  declined  to  listen, 
according  to  his  own  confession. 

This  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  Gen.  Augur  must 
have  known  of  a  purpose  to  take  the  life  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  previous  to  the  assassination;  other- 
wise he  could  not  have  prevented  it  by  taking  the 
advice  of  Gen.  Dana.  According  to  Dana's  state- 
ment Gen.  Augur  admits  that  he  could  have  pre- 
vented the  commission  of  an  act  by  another.  Unless 
Gen.  Augur  had  knowledge  of  the  purpose  to  com- 
mit that  act,  and  of  the  person  who  was  to  perform 
the  specific  act  complained  of,  he  had  no  such  power 
as  he  admitted.  Therefore,  upon  the  statement  of 
Gen.  Dana,  which  we  assume  to  be  true,  Major  Gen. 
C.  C.  Augur  had  a  knowledge  of  some  act,  which, 
if  performed,  would  have  saved  the  life  of  President 
Lincoln.  Reasoning  from  the  assumed  admission  to 
physical  facts,  based  upon  the  proviso  that  Gen. 
Dana  is  correctly  reporting,  which  I  believe  to  be 
true  because  his  report  of  the  pursuit  of  Booth  is 
in  the  main  a  strong  corroboration  of  the  story  of 
St.  Helen  (or  Booth)  told  to  me,  this  is  the  inevit- 
able conclusion,  applying  the  legal  rule,  the  stand- 
ard by  which  we  measure  the  words  of  men — if  true 
in  one  thing,  true  in  all,  or  false  in  one  thing,  false 
in  all.  This  rule  must  sustain  the  statements  of 
Dana,  which,  without  further  explanation,  must 

119 


THE  PURSUIT  OF  BOOTH. 

"My  God,  marshal,  if  I  had  taken  your  advice 
this  teiTible  thing  would  not  have  happened." 
cihow  thai;  Major  Gen.  Augur,  on  his  own  confession, 
could  nave  saved  the  life  of  President  Lincoln,  but 
did  not  do  it,  even  when  advised  to  do  so  by  Gen. 
Dana,  iis  subordinate  officer,  and  conscience-whip- 
ped after  the  assassination  he  cries  out : 

And  shall  these  words  ring  on  and  on  through  the 
changing  cycles  of  time,  a  lasting  tribute  to  the 
truth  of  the  old,  trite  saying,  "Murder  will  out" 
and  "truth,  though  crushed  to  the  earth,  will  rise 
again  T" 


GEN.    C.    C.    AUGUR. 

Commander    of   thp    Army    Stationed    Around    "Washington  for 

Protection    of   the    Life   of   Lincoln,    and    the    Home    of  the 

Government,      Who      Issued      the      Order     Calling     in  the 
Guards. 


MRS.   SURRATT 

And  Her  Boarding-house  in  Washing-ton  City,  Where  Booth 
Met  Her  Son,  John  H.  Surratt,  Delivering  the  Letter  From 
David  E.  Herold,  Their  Mutual  Friend. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE 

Gen.  Dana  says,  in  speaking  of  the  pursuit  of 
Booth  and  Herold:  "Booth  and  Herold  remained 
a  day  and  one  night  at  the  home  of  Dr.  Samuel 
Mudd."  St.  Helen  (or  Booth)  told  me  they  reached 
the  home  of  Dr.  Mudd  just  before  daylight  on  the 
morning  of  April  15th,  1865,  the  morning  after  the 
assassination,  where  his  riding  boot  was  cut  off  by 
Dr.  Mudd  and  his  sprained  ankle  and  fractured  shin 
bone  dressed  and  splintered  by  the  doctor  with  parts 
of  a  cigar  box,  and  the  old  doctor  made  him  a  rough 
crutch  out  of  a  broom  handle;  when  after  an  early 
breakfast,  their  horses  in  the  brush  near  by,  having 
finished  feeding,  they,  thanking  and  paying  Dr. 
Mudd  for  his  services,  mounted  their  horses  and  left, 
riding  the  most  direct  way  they  could,  keeping  well 
in  the  country  and  by-roads,  to  the  home  of  Mr. 
Cox,  during  the  15th  day  of  April,  1865,  the  day 
after  the  killing  of  President  Lincoln,  showing  sub- 
stantial corroboration  of  Gen.  Dana  so  far. 

Gen.  Dana  says  Booth  and  Herold  killed  their 
horses  while  they  were  in  hiding  back  of  the  Cox 
plantation  on  the  Potomac  river,  but  Booth  says  the 

121 


THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE. 

horses  were  not  killed  but  taken  away,  as  he  sup- 
posed, by  Mr.  Jones. 

That  this  is  true,  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  for  two 
reasons:  First,  the  horse  ridden  by  Booth  and  de- 
scribed to  me  by  St.  Helen  (or  Booth)  was  a  very 
fine  and  valuable  animal,  purchased  by  him  in  Mary- 
land some  time  before  this  event.  The  second  rea- 
son is  that  Gen.  Dana's  men  were  too  close  on 
Booth  and  Herold  to  permit  of  their  killing  the 
horses,  which  must  have  been  done  by  shooting 
them.  Dana  then  says  they  were  buried.  This  would 
have  been  a  physical  impossibility,  for  Booth,  in 
his  crippled  condition,  could  not  help  and  Herold 
was  without  the  necessary  implements  with  which 
to  do  it. 

Booth  says  the  Federal  troops  of  cavalry  were  so 
close  to  them  in  their  hiding  in  the  pine  brush  be- 
hind the  Cox  plantation  that  they  could  hear  the 
footfalls  of  the  horses  and  the  voices  of  the  men,  and 
for  that  reason  their  horses  were  taken  away  to  pre- 
vent their  neighs  from  attracting  attention  to  them 
by  the  passing  Cavalry,  as  they  "had  neighed  fre- 
quently, much  to  our  fear  and  discomfort." 

Gen.  Dana  further  says  that  "Booth  and  Herold 
must  have  had  guides."  The  truth  is  Herold  was 
well  acquainted  with  this  section  of  the  country,  as 
was  Booth,  from  his  previous  inspections  of  this 

122 


THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE. 

route  over  which  Lincoln  was  to  have  been  carried 
if  kidnaped  and  taken  to  Eichmond,  as  originally 
designed.  It  is  true,  however,  that  Herold  was  to 
some  extent  a  guide  for  Booth. 

Herold  is  dead  and  I  suppose  I  am  the  only  liv- 
ing man  who  knows  why  Booth  became  associated 
with  Herold,  so  unlike  and  inferior  to  himself,  for 
David  E.  Herold  was  seemingly  a  man  of  no  cultiva- 
tion, and  was  a  drug  clerk  employed  in  a  drug  store 
in  Washington  City,  where  he  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Booth. 

The  explanation  made  to  me  by  St.  Helen  ^or 
Booth)  was  that  he  had  become  acquainted  with 
Herold  while  he  was  a  clerk  in  a  drug  store  which 
he  (Booth)  frequented  to  buy  cosmetics  sometimes 
used  by  him  in  his  or  others'  makeup  for  the  stage. 
And  at  these  meetings  he  learned  of  Herold 's  old 
acquaintance  with  this  section  of  the  country, 
what  was  then  called  "The  underground  route  be- 
tween Washington,  D.  C.,  and  Richmond,  Virginia," 
and  for  this  reason  he  made  a  friend  of  Herold  and 
took  him  into  his  confidence.  It  was  in  company 
with  Herold  that  Booth  made  his  first  as  well  as 
many  other  trips  over  this  route.  In  the  meantime 
he  learned  that  Herold  knew  John  H.  Surratt.  Hav- 
ing found  Herold  a  willing  and  loyal  friend,  desir- 
ous of  lending  himself  to  Booth's  plans  against  the 

123 


THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE. 

Federal  government  and  the  life  of  President  Lin- 
coln, Booth  trusted  him;  and  it  will  be  remembered 
that  it  was  Herold  who  gave  Booth  the  letter  of  in- 
troduction to  John  H.  Surratt. 

Mrs.  Surratt,  the  most  prominent  of  the  persons 
suspected  of  complicity  in  Booth's  crime,  was  inno- 
cent of  any  complicity  whatever  in  the  matter ;  was 
a  woman  of  middle  age  at  the  time  of  her  execution, 
rather  good-looking,  and  the  mother  of  two  or  more 
children,  among  them  John  H.  Surratt  and  a  daugh- 
ter. Mrs.  Surratt  was  at  one  time  comfortably  well 
off  but  had  been  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  remov- 
ing from  Surrattville,  her  home,  to  Washington, 
where  she  kept  a  boarding  house  on  H  street.  I 
am  informed  that  Mrs.  Surratt  is  the  only  woman 
ever  hanged  by  a  judgment  of  a  Federal  Adjudica- 
tion. 

Recurring  to  the  incident  at  the  East  Potomac 
bridge  and  the  statements  made  by  Demond  to  Gen. 
Dana,  where  he  says,  "I  well  remember  when  you 
came  down  to  meet  some  one  that  was  waiting  on 
the  Washington  side,  but  never  knew  who  it  was  un- 
til I  read  the  account  given  by  you  in  The  Sunday 
Globe." 

Is  this  statement  suggestive?  Gen.  Dana  fails  to 
mention  that  he  had  a  meeting  with  some  third  party 

124 


THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE. 

who  was  waiting  for  him  at  the  East  Potomac  bridge 
on  the  Washington  side. 

Was  this  meeting  by  prearrangement?  And  does 
it  explain  why  Gen.  Dana  went  in  person  to  the  East 
Potomac  bridge,  ostensibly  to  call  in  the  guard,  but 
presumably  to  meet  this  party  in  waiting?  We  reach 
this  conclusion  from  the  physical  fact  that  he  did 
meet  this  party  and  that  he  did  not  call  in  the 
guards,  if  so,  not  until  Booth  had  made  good  his 
escape. 

Gen.  Dana  says  that  he  went  in  person  to  the  East 
Potomac  bridge  to  call  in  the  guard,  using  this 
language:  "On  the  line  from  Fort  Meigs  to  Sur- 
rattville  I  went  in  person  and  withdrew  my  guard 
to  my  headquarters,"  his  headquarters  being  at 
Port  Baker.  He  follows  this  statement  by  saying: 
4 'I  returned  to  headquarters  about  eleven  o'clock 
that  night  and  had  dismissed  my  guards."  Thus 
referring  to,  or  meaning,  the  guards  which  he  had 
called  in  from  the  East  Potomac  bridge,  the  point 
where  Booth  crossed  the  river. 

Booth  killed  the  President  about  ten  minutes  past 
ten  o'clock  p.  m.  and  arrived  at  the  East  Potomac 
and  crossed  the  bridge  about  ten  thirty  o'clock.  Gen. 
Dana  says  he  received  the  order  to  call  in  the  guards 
about  four  o'clock  that  afternoon;  that  he  went  in 
person  to  call  in  the  guards  from  this  bridge;  that 

125 


THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE. 

he  reached  his  headquarters  at  Fort  Baker  and  dis- 
missed his  guards  about  eleven  o'clock  that  night. 
Gen.  Dana  gives  no  account  of  himself  from  four 
o'clock  p.  m.  until  about  eleven  o'clock  p.  m.  of 
the  14th  day  of  April,  1865.  Nothing  of  what  he  did 
at  the  bridge,  what  time  he  reached  there,  or  when 
he  left.  Nothing  of  who  this  third  party  was  at 
the  bridge  waiting  on  the  Washington  side,  with 
whom  he  was  seen  to  meet  and  talk  by  Demond. 

Where  was  Gen.  Dana  when  President  Lincoln 
was  shot  ?  Of  this  he  gives  no  account.  Where  was 
he  when  Booth  and  Herold  crossed  the  bridge  about 
ten  thirty  o  'clock  ?  Of  this  time  he  gives  no  account. 
Was  he  present  at  the  bridge?  He  says  he  with- 
drew the  guards,  and  the  guards  were  present  when 
Booth  and  Herold  crossed! 

Gen.  Dana  says :  "I  withdrew  my  guards  to  my 
headquarters  and  had  dismissed  them  and  was  eat- 
ing my  evening  meal  at  about  eleven  o'clock,  when 
I  heard  the  President  was  shot."  Certainly  Gen. 
Dana  was  not  at  his  headquarters  at  the  usual  hour 
for  taking  meals. 

If  it  be  true  that  Dana  withdrew  the  guards  from 
the  bridge  it  was  certainly  done  after  Booth  and 
Herold  had  passed,  for  it  is  a  physical  fact  that  the 
guards  were  there  when  they  passed  over,  so  that 
the  logical  conclusion  is  that  if  the  guard  left  at  all 

126 


THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE. 

they  left  after  Booth  and  Herold  had  crossed  the 
bridge. 

Gen.  Dana  shows  that  when  he  arrived  at  the 
headquarters  of  Major  Gen.  Augur  that  Gen.  Augur 
gave  Dana  complete  command  of  all  the  forces  to 
pursue  and  capture  Booth.  And  we  ask,  is  it  not  a 
significant  fact  that  Gen.  Dana  should  have  misdi- 
rected all  the  troops  which  he  sent  out  other  than 
a  single  detachment,  in  pursuit  of  Booth,  unless  he 
knew  the  direction  Booth  had  gone  ?  Is  it  not  strange 
that  he  himself,  with  a  detail  of  men,  without  hesita- 
tion and  without  other  information  than  such  as  he 
possessed  before  the  shooting  of  President  Lincoln — 
in  fact,  as  if  by  intuition,  took  the  proper  trail  by 
leaving  Washington  directly  for  Surrattville,  cross- 
ing the  East  Potomac  bridge  as  Booth  and  Herold 
had  done,  following  along  the  trail  in  the  wake  of 
Booth  and  Herold,  who  arrived  at  the  home  of  Dr. 
Mudd  about  four  o'clock  a.  m.,  while  Gen.  Dana 
turned  from  the  road  leading  to  Dr.  Mudd's  home 
and  went  to  Bryantown,  just  three  and  a  half  miles 
from  Dr.  Mudd's  home,  reaching  Bryantown  at 
six  o'clock  a.  m.,  while  Booth  and  Herold  were  yet 
at  the  home  of  the  doctor.  Dr.  Mudd  administered 
to  Booth's  pains,  then  went  to  Bryantown,  where 
he  called  on  Gen.  Dana,  and  was  permitted  to  leave 
Bryantown  by  Gen.  Dana,  as  the  general  says,  "at 

127 


THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE. 

the  request  of  his  cousin,  Dr.  George  Mudd.' 

We  ask,  are  these  findings  of  fact  mere  incidents 
of  the  occasion?  Shall  we  say  it  is  entirely  reason- 
able so  to  conclude? 

Gen.  Dana,  in  commenting  on  the  Dr.  Mudd  in- 
cident, says:  "George  Mudd,  let  me  say  in  passing, 
never  intimated  to  me  that  his  friend  was  a  doctor, 
or  was  a  relative  of  his.  I  learned  this  the  next  day 
when  it  was  too  late  (as  usual  he  does  not  explain 
how  he  found  it  out)  that  his  cousin  was  a  rank 
rebel,  and  I  plainly  told  George  Mudd  what  I 
thought  of  him." 

Which  we  suggest  must  have  been  a  great  punish- 
ment to  Dr.  George  Mudd  and  was  quite  the  act  of 
a  hero  on  the  part  of  Gen.  Dana  to  thus  occupy  his 
time — reading  lectures  to  Dr.  George  Mudd  while 
in  hot  pursuit  of  and  on  the  trail  of  the  assassin  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States. 

Thus  spending  his  time  at  Bryantown,  neglecting 
to  go  with  his  troops,  or  send  them  to  capture  Dr. 
Samuel  Mudd  at  his  home  only  three  and  a  half 
miles  away,  in  order  that  he  might  investigate  the 
suspicious  and  offending  conduct  of  Dr.  Samuel 
Mudd,  he,  instead,  sends  a  detachment  of  his  troops 
with  a  guide  to  scour  a  nearby  swamp  looking  for 
Booth  and  Herold,  when  a  heavy  storm  came  up 
and  made  it  impossible  to  proceed  with  the  search 

128 


THE  EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGE. 

« 

and  the  next  day  it  was  too  late.  As  usual,  conven- 
ient for  Booth  and  Herold. 

Thus  practically  ended  Gen.  Dana's  chase  after 
Booth  at  Bryantown. 

Realizing  that  he  was  hunted  with  a  zeal  beyond 
the  zeal  prompting  the  searchers  in  following  the 
ordinary  criminal  and  bringing  him  to  justice ;  stim- 
ulated by  a  burning  desire  for  vengeance  for  the 
crime  that  startled  the  whole  world,  no  less  than  the 
hope  of  the  magnificent  reward,  which  meant  a  for- 
tune in  those  days,  John  Wilkes  Booth  decided  to 
cast  his  lot  among  the  Indians.  He  met  many 
of  the  tribes  and  mingled  with  them,  finally  becom- 
ing associated  with  the  Apache  tribe,  whose  chief 
he  described  as  being  a  man  of  docility,  lazy  and  de- 
void of  ambition.  The  males  of  the  tribe,  who  are 
called  bucks,  were  active  and  possessed  of  more 
than  ordinary  intelligence;  the  squaws,  some  of 
them  pretty  and  attractive,  were  the  slaves  of  the 
men.  But,  though  these  people  were  kind  to  him 
and  his  safety  was  absolutely  secure  among  them, 
Booth  could  not  accustom  himself  to  the  habits  and 
customs  of  these  rude  people  and  the  longing  for 
kindred  companionship  drew  him  back  again  to  the 
haunts  of  civilized  man. 

He  went  to  Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  where  he 
met  and  was  entertained  by  a  Mr.  Treadkell,  who 

129 


THE   EAST  POTOMAC  BRIDGfi. 

employed  him  later  as  a  teamster,  under  the  name 
of  Jesse  Smith,  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  1866.  Mr. 
Treadkell  had  a  contract  with  the  United  States 
government  for  hauling  overland  the  supplies  to  the 
United  States  army  located  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

In  speaking  of  Booth  Mr.  Treadkell  said:  "There 
was  always  a  strange  thing  about  Jesse  Smith,  or 
Booth.  While  he  was  a  good  driver  of  mules  four  in 
hand,  he  did  not  have  the  slightest  knowledge  of 
how  to  harness  his  team  nor  even  how  to  hitch  them 
to  the  wagon.  But  he  was  the  life  of  the  camp  at 
night  and  rendered  himself  so  agreeable  that  I  never 
once  thought  of  discharging  him  for  his  ignorance 
in  this  respect,  that  he  never  was  able  to  hitch  up 
his  own  team.  The  other  drivers  were  always  gladly 
willing  to  do  this  service  for  him  and  I  myself  would 
much  rather  do  this  than  give  him  up,  on  account 
of  his  ability  to  entertain  us  at  night.  He  would 
recite  Shakespeare's  plays,  poems,  etcetera,  and  tell 
of  his  travels,  which  seemed  to  have  been  extensive. 
His  recitations  were  grandly  eloquent." 

The  day  before  reaching  Salt  Lake  City  and  the 
army  officials  Jesse  Smith  (Booth)  left  the  wagon 
and  his  employer,  disappearing  without  notice  or 
compensation,  according  to  Mr.  Treadkell's  state- 
ment, which  corroborates  St.  Helen's  (Booth)  ver- 
sion of  the  same  story.  And  I  suppose  he  continued 

130 


THE   EAST  POTOMAC   BRIDGE. 

his  journey  west  to  San  Francisco  where  he  met  hts 
mother  and  brother,  Junius  Brutus  Booth. 

A  few  years  later  Mr.  Treadkell  purchased  a  book 
containing  the  story  of  the  assassination  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  and  a  picture  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 
the  assassin,  from  which  picture  he  was  greatly  sur- 
prised to  recognize  in  his  mysterious  teamster,  Jesse 
Smith,  no  less  a  person  than  John  Wilkes  Booth. 


isi 


CHAPTER  XI. 
THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON 

The  government  for  some  reason  took  up  the  pur- 
suit of  Booth  independent  of  the  movements  of  Gen 
Dana  and  the  Army  of  Washington  within  the  lines 
of  the  3rd  Brigade  of  Harden 's  Division,  22d  Corps, 
commanded  by  Maj.  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur,  when  Edwin 
M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War,  sent  the  following 
telegram  to  New  York  City: 

"Washington,  April  16th,  1865. 
"3:20?.  M. 

"Col.  L.  C.  Baker— Come  here  immediately  and 
see  if  you  can  find  the  murderer  of  the  President. 

"  (Signed.)  EDWIN  M.  STANTON, 

"Secretary  of  War." 

Early  the  next  morning  Col.  Baker  reached  Wash- 
ington, accompanied  by  his  cousin,  Lieut.  L.  B.  Bak- 
er, a  member  of  the  Bureau,  who  had  recently  been 
mustered  out  of  the  First  District  of  Columbia  Cav- 
alry. 

They  went  at  once  to  the  office  of  the  War  De- 
partment and  after  a  conference  with  Secretary 
Stanton,  began  the  search  for  the  murderer  of  the 
President. 

132 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

"Up  to  this  time,"  says  Col.  Baker,  "the  con- 
fusion had  been  so  great  that  few  of  the  ordinary 
detective  measures  for  the  apprehension  of  crim- 
inals had  been  employed.  No  rewards  had  been  of- 
fered. Little  or  no  attempt  had  been  made  to  col- 
lect and  arrange  the  clue  in  the  furtherance  of  a 
systematic  search  and  the  pursuit  was  wholly  with- 
out a  dictating  leadership." 

Col.  Baker's  first  step  was  the  publication  of  a 
handbill  offering  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  the 
capture  of  the  fugitives.  Twenty  thousand  dollars 
of  this  amount  was  subscribed  by  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington and  the  other  ten  thousand  dollars  by  Col. 
Baker,  offered  on  his  own  account  and  authorized 
by  the  War  Department. 

On  this  handbill  was  a  minute  description  of 
Booth,  as  follows : 

"John  Wilkes  Booth,  who  assassinated  the  Presi- 
dent on  the  evening  of  April  14th,  1865,  height  5 
feet  8  inches,  weight  160  pounds,  compactly  built; 
hair  jet  black,  inclined  to  curl ;  medium  length,  part- 
ed behind,  eyes  black,  and  heavy  brows.  Wears  a 
large  seal  ring  on  his  little  finger. 

"When  talking  inclines  his  head  forward  and 
looks  down. 

"(Signed.)  L.  C.  BAKER, 

"Colonel  and  Adjutant  of  the  War  Dept." 

133 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

Hardly  had  these  handbills  been  posted  when  the 
United  States  Government  made  the  publication  of 
additional  reward  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollors  for  the  capture  of  Booth,  Surratt 
and  Herold,  Surratt  at  that  time  being  suspected  of 
dire  complicity  in  the  assassination. 

Three  states  increased  this  sum  by  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  each  and  many  individuals  and 
companies,  shocked  by  the  awful  atrocity  of  the 
crime,  offered  rewards  of  various  amounts.  Fab- 
ulous stories  were  told  of  the  wealth  which  the 
assassin's  captors  would  receive,  the  sum  being 
placed  anywhere  from  five  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars to  one  million  dollars. 

This  prospect  of  winning  a  fortune  at  once  set 
hundreds  of  detectives  and  recently  discharged 
Union  officers  and  soldiers,  and,  in  fact,  a  vast  host 
of  adventurers  into  the  field  of  search  and  the  whole 
of  Southern  Maryland  and  Eastern  Virginia  was 
scoured  and  ransacked  until  it  seemed  as  if  a  jack 
rabbit  could  not  have  escaped,  and  yet  at  the  end  of 
ten  days  the  assassins  were  still  at  large. 

"Booth  was  accompanied  in  his  flight  by  a  callow 
stage-struck  youth  named  David  E.  Herold,  who  was 
bound  to  Booth,  the  older,  merely  by  ties  of  a  mar- 
velous magnetism  as  a  part  of  his  art." 

134 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

"In  beginning  his  search  for  the  assassin  Col. 
Baker  proceeded  on  the  theory  that  Jefferson  Davis, 
President  of  the  Confederate  States,  and  his  Cab- 
inet, were  involved  in  the  plot  and  that  Booth,  Her- 
old  and  others,  were  mere  tools  in  the  hands  of  the 
more  skilled  conspirators.  He  therefore  detailed 
Lieut.  L.  B.  Baker  to  procure  for  the  purpose  of 
future  identification,  photographs  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth,  Jefferson  Davis,  President  of  the  Confeder- 
acy; George  N.  Sanders,  Beverly  Tucker,  Jacob 
Thompson  and  others  unknown,  all  of  whom  were 
charged  with  being  conspirators. 

"Lieutenant  Baker,  with  half  a  dozen  active  men 
to  help  him,  was  sent  into  lower  Maryland  to  dis- 
tribute the  handbills  describing  Booth,  Herold  and 
others,  and  to  exhibit  the  pictures  of  the  fugitives 
when  possible,  under  instructions  from  Col.  Baker. 
They  also  made  a  search  for  clues,  but  they  found 
themselves  harassed  and  thwarted  at  Washington 
by  private  detectives  and  soldiers  who  tried  to  throw 
them  off  their  trail  (as  Baker  thought),  in  the  hope 
of  following  it  successfully  themselves." 

In  this  connection  I  challenge  attention  to  the 
conduct  of  Gen.  Dana,  as  we  left  him  at  Bryantown 
resting  under  the  seeming  shadows  of  treacherous 
conduct,  which  accusation  appears  also  to  be  well 
founded  by  the  statements  of  Col.  Baker,  for  he  says 

135 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

that  in  their  search  for  Booth  and  Herold  they  found 
themselves  harassed  and  thwarted  at  every  turn 
by  private  detectives  and  soldiers  of  the  Federal 
Army  who  tried  to  throw  them  off  the  trail. 

Baker  says  they  regarded  Booth,  Herold  and  oth- 
ers as  ' '  mere  tools  in  the  hands  of  more  skilled  con- 
spirators." Baker  was  more  wise  than  even  he 
knew  in  this  conclusion  as  the  events  of  after  years 
disclosed,  proven  by  the  confession  of  Booth  himself 
of  the  plot  and  the  persons  connected  with  it. 

"On  his  return  to  Washington  Lieut.  Baker  told 
Col.  Baker  that  it  was  his  opinion  that  Booth  and 
his  companions  had  not  gone  South,  but  had  taken 
some  other  direction,  most  probably  toward  Phila- 
delphia, where  it  was  known  that  Booth  had  several 
women  friends. 

"  'Now,  sir,'  was  Col.  Baker's  answer,  'you  are 
mistaken.  There  is  no  place  of  safety  for  them  on 
earth,  except  among  their  friends  in  the  still  rebel- 
lious South.' 

"Acting  on  this  belief,  Col.  Baker,  Theodore 
Woodall,  one  of  the  detectives  in  lower  Maryland, 
accompanied  by  an  expert  telegrapher  named  Brak- 
with,  who  was  to  attach  his  instrument  to  the  wires 
at  any  convenient  point  and  report  frequently  to 
headquarters  at  Washington,  started  in  pursuit  of 
Booth. 

136 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

' '  These  men  had  been  out  less  than  two  days  when 
they  discovered  a  valuable  clue  from  a  negro  who 
told  them  without  hesitation  that  two  men  answer- 
ing the  description  of  Booth  and  Herold  had  crossed 
the  Potomac  below  Port  Tobacco  on  Sunday  night, 
April  21st,  1865,  in  a  fishing  boat. 

' '  This  evidence  or  information  was  regarded  as 
of  so  much  importance  that  the  negro  was  hurried  to 
"Washington  by  the  next  boat  on  the  Potomac  river. 
Col.  Baker  questioned  him  closely  and  after  show- 
ing him  a  large  number  of  photographs  he  at  once 
selected  the  picture  of  Booth  and  Herold  as  being 
the  persons  whom  he  had  seen  in  the  boat.  Col. 
Baker  decided  that  the  clue  was  of  the  first  import- 
ance and,  after  a  hurried  conference  with  Secretary 
Stanton,  he  sent  a  request  to  Gen.  Hancock  for  a 
detachment  of  cavalry  to  guard  his  men  sent  in  pur- 
suit and  Lieut.  Baker  was  ordered  to  the  quarter- 
master's department  to  make  arrangements  for 
transportation  down  the  Potomac  river.  On  Lieut. 
Baker's  return  he  was  informed  that  he  and  E.  J. 
Conger  and  other  detectives  were  to  have  charge  of 
the  party. 

"The  three  men  then  held  a  conference  in  which 
Col.  Baker  fully  explained  his  theory  of  the  where- 
abouts of  Booth  and  Herold.  In  half  an  hour  Lieut. 
Edward  P.  Dougherty,  of  the  16th  New  York  Cav- 

137 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

airy,  with  twenty-five  men,  Sergeant  Boston  Cor- 
bett,  second  in  command,  reported  to  Col.  Baker  for 
duty,  having  been  directed  to  go  with  Lieut.  Baker 
and  Conger  wherever  they  might  order  and  to  pro- 
tect them  to  the  extent  of  their  ability.  Without 
waiting  even  to  secure  sufficient  rations  Lieut.  Bak- 
er and  his  men  galloped  off  down  to  the  Sixth  Street 
dock  and  hurried  on  the  government  tug,  'John  S. 
Ide,'  at  a  little  after  three  o'clock,  and  that  same 
afternoon  the  tug  reached  Belle  Plain  Landing.  At 
this  point  there  was  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river  and 
Col.  Baker  advised  his  men  to  scour  the  strip  of 
country  stretching  between  it  and  the  Eappahan- 
nock  river. 

"On  disembarking  Baker  and  Conger  rode  con- 
tinuously ahead,  Lieut.  Dougherty  and  his  men  fol- 
lowing within  hailing  distance.  The  country  being 
familiar  to  both  of  the  leaders  of  the  expedition  they 
assumed  the  names  of  well-known  blockade  runners 
and  mail  carriers  and  stopped  at  the  homes  of  the 
more  prominent  Confederates  to  make  inquiries,  say- 
ing: 

"  'We  are  being  pursued  by  the  Yankees  and  in 
crossing  the  river  we  became  separated  from  twc 
of  our  party,  one  of  whom  is  a  lame  man.  Have  you 
seen  them?' 

138 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

"All  night  this  kind  of  work  was  kept  up,  inter- 
spersed with  much  harder  riding,  but  although  the 
Confederates  invariably  expressed  their  sympathy 
it  was  evident  that  they  knew  nothing  of  the  fugi- 
tives. At  dawn  the  cavalrymen  threw  off  their  dis- 
guise and  halted  for  an  hour  for  rest  and  refresh- 
ments. 

"Again  in  their  saddles  they  struck  across  the 
country  in  the  direction  of  Port  Conway,  a  little 
town  on  the  Rappahannock  river,  about  twenty-two 
miles  below  Fredericksburg.  Between  two  and  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  drew  rein  near  a  plant- 
er's home,  half  a  mile  distant  from  this  town,  and 
ordered  dinner  for  the  men  and  feed  for  their 
horses.  Conger,  who  was  suffering  from  an  old 
wound,  was  almost  exhausted  from  the  long,  hot 
and  dusty  ride.  He  and  the  other  members  of  the 
party,  except  Baker  and  a  corporal,  dropped  down 
on  the  roadside  to  rest.  Baker,  fearing  that  the 
presence  of  the  scouting  party  might  give  warning 
to  Booth  and  his  companions,  should  they  be  hiding 
in  the  neighborhood,  pushed  on  ahead  to  the  bank 
of  the  Rappahannock  river.  He  saw  dozing  in  the 
sunshine  in  front  of  his  little  cottage  a  fisherman,  or 
ferryman,  whose  name  was  Rollins.  He  asked  him 
if  he  had  seen  a  lame  man  cross  the  river  within  the 
past  few  days.  The  man  answered  yes  he  had,  and 

139 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

that  there  were  other  men  with  him.  In  fact  he  had 
ferried  them  across  the  river..  (This  was  Booth, 
Ilerold  and  Ruddy.  Notice  that  the  ferryman  re- 
fers to  men  being  with  Booth — not  a  man). 

"Baker  drew  out  his  photographs  and  without 
hesitation  Rollins  pointed  out  the  pictures  of  Booth 
and  Herold.  (Baker  had  no  picture  of  Ruddy). 

"  'These  men,'  he  said,  nodding  his  head,  'They 
are  the  men,  only  this  one,'  pointing  to  Booth's  pic- 
ture, 'had  no  mustache.'  (The  fisherman  evidently 
was  thinking  of  Ruddy  and  identifying  him  from 
Booth's  picture,  because  Booth  had  a  mustache  and 
Ruddy  did  not  have  a  distinguishable  mustache, 
having  an  even  growth  of  whiskers  on  his  entire 
face.  This  would  seem  to  show  that  Ruddy  could 
have  been,  and  was,  mistaken  for  Booth,  without  a 
long  mustache.) 

"It  was  with  a  thrill  of  satisfaction  that  Baker 
heard  these  words.  He  was  now  positive  that  he 
of  all  the  hundred  detectives  and  soldiers  who  were 
looking  for  Booth,  was  on  the  right  trail.  Not  a 
moment  was  to  be  lost  now  that  the  object  of  their 
search  might  be  riding  far  into  the  land  of  the 
Rebels.  Baker  sent  the  corporal  back  with  orders 
for  Conger  and  his  men  to  come  up  without  delay. 
After  he  was  gone  Rollins  explained  that  the  men 
had  hired  him  to  ferry  them  across  the  river  on  the 

140 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

previous  afternoon  and  that  just  before  starting 
three  men  had  ridden  up  and  greeted  the  fugitives. 

"In  response  to  questioning  Rollins  admitted  that 
he  knew  the  three  men  well;  that  they  were  Major 
M.  B.  Ruggles,  Lieut.  Bainbridge  and  Capt.  Jett,  of 
Mosby's  Confederate  command. 

"  '  Do  you  know  where  they  went?'  Baker  press- 
ed the  questioning. 

"  'Wall,'  drawled  the  fisherman,  'this  Capt.  Jett 
has  a  lady  love  over  at  Bowling  Green  and  I  reckon 
he  went  over  there.'  And  he  further  explained  that 
Bowling  Green  was  about  fifteen  miles  to  the  south 
and  that  it  had  a  big  hotel  which  would  make  a 
good  hiding  place  for  a  wounded  man.  As  the  cav- 
alry came  up  Baker  told  Rollins  that  he  would  have 
to  accompany  him  as  a  guide  until  they  reached 
Bowling  Green.  To  this  Rollins  objected  on  the 
ground  that  he  would  incur  the  hatred  of  his  neigh- 
bors, none  of  whom  had  favored  the  Union  cause. 

"  'But  you  might  make  me  your  prisoner/  he  said 
in  his  slow  drawl,  'then  I  would  have  to  go.'  Bak- 
er felt  the  necessity  of  exercising  the  greatest  energy 
in  the  pursuit  if  the  fugitives  were  to  be  snatched 
from  the  shelter  of  the  hostile  country. 

"Rollins'  old  ferry  boat  was  shaky  and,  although 
the  loading  was  done  with  the  greatest  dispatch  it 
took  three  trips  to  get  the  detachment  across  the 

141 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

river,  when  the  march  for  Bowling  Green  was  be- 
gun. The  horses  sweltered  up  the  crooked  sandy 
road  from  the  river.  Baker  and  Conger,  who  were 
riding  ahead,  saw  two  horsemen  standing  motion- 
less on  the  top  of  a  hill,  their  black  forms  showing 
well  against  the  sky.  (This  was  Major  or  Lieut. 
Ruggles  and  Bainbridge  on  sentinel  duty,  guarding 
Booth  at  the  Garrett  farm,  which  was  only  a  short 
distance  to  the  north  of  where  these  men  were  seen) . 

"These  men  seem  much  interested  in  the  move- 
ments of  the  cavalry.  Baker  and  Conger  at  once 
suspected  them  of  being  Booth's  friends,  who  had 
in  some  way  received  information  of  the  approach 
of  the  searching  party. 

"Baker  signaled  the  horsemen  to  wait  for  a  parley 
but  instead  of  stopping  they  at  once  put  spurs  to 
their  horses  and  galloped  up  the  road.  Conger  and 
Baker  gave  chase,  but  they  bent  to  the  necks  of 
their  horses  and  riding  at  full  speed  they  were 
away.  And  just  as  they  were  overhauling  them  the 
two  horsemen  dashed  into  a  blind  trail  leading  from 
the  main  road  into  the  pine  forest.  (This  is  when 
Ruggles  and  Bainbridge  rode  to  the  Garrett  home, 
a  short  distance  north  of  the  main  road,  in  which 
the  Federal  troops  then  were  on  their  way  to  Bowl- 
ing Green,  and  then  it  was  that  they  notified  Booth 
to  leave  the  Garrett  home,  as  explained  to  me  by  St. 

142 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

Helen  (or  Booth),  when  he  left  the  Garrett  home 
and  went  into  the  wooded  spot  where  he  was  after- 
ward picked  up  by  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge,  and  fur- 
nished a  horse  by  which  means  he  made  his  escape.) 

"The  pursuers  drew  rein  on  their  winded  horses 
and  after  consultation  decided  not  to  follow  further, 
but  to  reach  Bowling  Green  as  promptly  as  possi- 
ble. ' '  These  men,  Baker  and  Conger  say,  they  were 
afterward  informed,  were  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge, 
and  that  Booth,  at  the  time  they  turned  back,  was 
less  than  half  a  mile  away,  lying  on  the  grass  in 
front  of  the  Garrett  house.  Baker  says  further  that 
"indeed  Booth  saw  his  pursuers  distinctly  as  they 
neared  his  hiding  place  and  commented  on  their 
dusty  and  saddle-worn  appearance."  (In  this  Baker 
is  mistaken.  Booth  did  not  see  them,  but  was  in- 
formed of  their  movements  only  by  Ruggles  and 
Bainbridge.) 

Baker  and  Conger  believed  Booth  to  be  at  Bowling 
Green,  fifteen  miles  away,  and  so  they  pushed  on, 
leaving  behind  the  man  they  so  much  desired  to  cap- 
ture. 

"It  was  near  midnight  when  the  party  clattered 
into  Bowling  Green,  and  with  hardly  a  spoken  com- 
mand surrounded  the  dark,  rambling  hotel.  Baker 
stepped  boldly  to  the  front  door,  while  Conger 
strode  to  the  rear  from  which  came  the  dismal 

143 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

barking  of  a  dog.  Presently  a  light  flickered  on 
and  some  one  opened  the  door  ajar  and  inquired  in 
a  frightened,  feminine  voice,  what  was  wanted. 
Baker  thrust  his  toe  inside,  flung  the  door  open  and 
was  confronted  by  a  woman.  At  this  moment  Con- 
ger came  through  from  the  back  way,  led  by  a 
negro.  The  woman  admitted  at  once  that  there  was 
a  Confederate  cavalryman  sleeping  in  the  house  and 
promptly  pointed  out  the  room.  Baker  and  Conger, 
candle  in  hand,  at  once  entered.  Capt.  Jett  sat  up 
staring  at  them  and  said: 

"  'What  do  you  want?' 

"  'We  want  you,'  answered  Conger.  'You  took 
Booth  across  the  river,  and  you  know  where  he  is.' 

"  'You  are  mistaken  in  your  man,'  Jett  replied 
rolling  out  of  bed. 

"  'You  lie!'  roared  Conger,  springing  forward,  his 
pistol  close  to  Jett's  head. 

"By  this  time  the  cavalrymen  had  crowded  into 
the  room  and  Jett  saw  the  candle  light  glinting  on 
their  brass  buttons  and  on  their  drawn  revolvers. 

"  'Upon  my  honor  as  a  gentleman,'  he  said,  pal- 
ing, 'I  will  tell  you  all  I  know  if  you  will  shield  me 
from  complicity  in  the  whole  matter.' 

"  'Yes,  if  we  get  Booth,'  responded  Conger. 

"  'Booth  is  at  the  Garrett  home,  three  miles  this 
side  of  Port  Conway,'  he  said.  'If  you  came  that 

144 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

way  you  may  have  frightened  him  off,  for  you  must 
have  passed  the  place. 

"In  less  than  thirty  minutes  the  pursuing  party 
was  doubling  back  over  the  road  by  which  it  had 
just  come,  bearing  Jett  with  it  as  a  prisoner. 

"The  bridle  reins  of  the  horse  ridden  by  him  were 
fastened  to  the  men  on  each  side  of  him  in  the  fear 
that  he  would  make  a  dash  to  escape  and  alarm 
Booth  and  Ilerold. 

"It  was  a  black  night,  no  moon,  no  stars,  and  the 
dust  rose  in  choking  clouds.  For  two  days  the  men 
had  eaten  little  and  slept  less,  and  they  were  so 
worn  out  that  they  could  hardly  sit  on  their  jaded 
horses,  and  yet  they  plunged  and  stumbled  on 
through  the  darkness  over  fifteen  miles  of  mean- 
dering country  road,  reaching  the  Garrett  home  at 
half-past  3  or  4  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April  26, 
1865. 

"Like  many  other  Southern  places,  Garrett 's  home 
stood  far  back  from  the  road,  with  a  bridle  gate  at 
the  end  of  a  long  lane.  So  exhausted  were  the  cav- 
alrymen that  some  of  them  dropped  down  in  the 
sand  when  their  horses  stopped  and  had  to  be  kicked 
into  wakefulness.  Rollins  and  Jett  were  placed 
under  guard  and  Baker  and  Conger  made  a  dash 
up  the  lane,  some  of  the  cavalry  following.  Gar- 
rett's  house  was  an  old-fashioned  southern  man- 

145 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

sion,  somewhat  dilapidated,  with  a  wide  hospitable 
piazza,  reaching  its  full  length  in  front,  and  barns 
and  tobacco  houses  looming  up  big  and  dark  apart. 

"Baker  leaped  from  his  horse  to  the  steps  and 
thundered  on  the  door.  A  moment  later  a  window 
close  at  hand  was  cautiously  raised  and  a  man 
thrust  his  head  out.  Before  he  could  say  a  word 
Baker  seized  him  by  the  arm  and  said:  'Open  the 
door !  Be  quick  about  it ! '  The  old  man,  trembling, 
complied,  and  Baker  stepped  inside,  closing  the  door 
behind  him.  A  candle  was  quickly  lighted,  and  then 
Baker  demanded  of  Garrett  to  reveal  the  hiding 
place  of  the  men  who  had  been  staying  in  the  house. 

"  'They  are  gone  to  the  woods,'  he  said.  (This 
was  true,  as  Booth  had  gone  to  the  woods  about 
2  or  3  o'clock  the  day  before,  when  notified  by  Rug- 
gles  and  Bainbridge.)  Baker  thrust  his  revolver  in 
the  old  man's  face.  'Don't  tell  me  that,'  he  said. 
'They  are  here.' 

"Conger  now  came  in  with  young  Garrett.  'Don't 
injure  father, '  said  the  young  man.  '  I  will  tell  you 
all  about  it.  The  men  did  go  to  the  woods  last 
evening  when  some  cavalry  went  by,  but  came  back 
and  wanted  us  to  take  them  over  to  Louisa  Court 
House.'  (Booth  had  left  as  the  old  man  Garrett 
said.) 

146 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

"The  men  spoken  of  by  young  Garrett  as  coming 
back  were  Herold  and  Ruddy,  returning  from  Bowl- 
ing Green,  as  prearranged  at  the  Rappahannock 
Ferry,  and  explained  to  me  by  St.  Helen  (Booth) 
to  meet  Booth,  who  they  found  had  gone.  They  re- 
mained that  night  with  the  Garretts.  There  was 
no  one  with  Booth  at  the  Garrett 's,  and  when  he  left 
he  left  alone.  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge  corroborate 
St.  Helen  (Booth),  and  say  that  when  they  returned 
to  the  Garrett  home  and  notified  Booth  to  leave  they 
looked  for  Herold,  who  had  not  yet  returned  to 
Booth,  and  that  Booth  straightway  left  by  himself, 
in  the  direction  which  they  pointed  out  to  him.  So 
the  allusion  by  young  Garrett  to  the  two  men  return- 
ing had  no  reference  to  Booth's  return,  for  at  the 
time  Booth  left  the  Garrett  home  Herold  and  Ruddy 
had  not  yet  reached  there  on  their  return  from  Bowl- 
ing Green. 

"Young  Garrett,  continuing,  said  to  Baker:  'We 
could  not  leave  home  before  morning,  if  at  all.  We 
were  becoming  suspicious  of  them  and  father  told 
them  they  could  not  stay  with  us.' 

"  'Where  are  they  now?'  interrupted  Baker. 

"  'In  the  barn.  My  brother  locked  them  in  for 
fear  they  would  steal  the  horses.  He  is  now  keep- 
ing watch  on  them  in  the  corn  crib.' 

147 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

"It  was  plain  that  Garrett  did  not  know  the  iden- 
tity of  the  men  who  had  been  imposing  on  their 
hospitality.  Baker  asked  no  questions,  but  taking 
young  Garrett 's  arm  he  made  a  dash  toward  the 
barn,  when  Conger  ordered  the  cavalrymen  to  fol- 
low, and  formed  them  in  such  position  around  the 
barn  that  no  one  could  escape.  By  this  time  the 
soldiers  had  found  the  boy  guarding  the  barn  and 
had  brought  him  out  with  the  key.  Baker  un- 
locked the  door  and  told  young  Garrett  that  inas- 
much as  the  two  men  were  his  guests  he  must  go 
inside  and  induce  them  to  come  out  and  surrender. 
The  young  man  objected  most  vigorously. 

"  'They  are  armed  to  the  teeth,'  he  faltered,  'and 
they  will  shoot  me  down.'  But  he  appreciated  the 
fact  that  he  was  looking  into  the  black  mouth  of 
Baker's  revolver  and  hastily  slid  through  the  door- 
way. 

"There  was  a  sudden  rustling  of  corn  blades  and 
the  sound  of  voices  in  low  conversation.  All  around 
the  barn  the  .soldiers  were  picketed,  wrapped  in 
inky  blackness  and  uttering  no  sound.  In  the 
midst  of  a  little  circle  of  candle  light  Baker  stood 
at  the  doorway  with  drawn  revolver.  Conger  had 
gone  to  the  rear  of  the  barn. 

"During  the  heat  and  excitement  of  the  chase 
Baker  had  assumed  command  of  the  cavalrymen, 

148 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

somewhat  to  the  umbrage  of  Lieut.  Dougherty,  who 
kept  himself  in  the  background  during  the  remain- 
der of  the  night.  Further  away,  around  the  house, 
the  Garrett  family  huddled  together  trembling  and 
frightened. 

"Suddenly  from  the  barn  a  clear,  high  voice  rang 
out,  'You  have  betrayed  me,  sir!  Leave  this  barn 
or  I  will  shoot  you ! ' 

"Baker  then  called  to  the  men  in  the  barn,  order- 
ing them  to  turn  over  their  arms  to  young  Garrett 
and  surrender  at  once.  '  If  you  don 't,  we  shall  burn 
the  barn,  and  have  a  bonfire  and  a  shooting  match.' 
At  this  young  Garrett  came  running  to  the  door  and 
begged  to  be  let  out.  He  said  he  would  do  anything 
he  could,  but  he  did  not  want  to  risk  his  life  in 
the  presence  of  the  two  desperate  men. 

"Baker  then  opened  the  door  and  Garrett  came 
out  with  a  bound.  He  turned  and  pointed  to  the 
candle  which  Baker  had  been  carrying  since  he  left 
the  house.  'Put  that  out,  or  he  will  shoot  you  by 
its  light, '  he  whispered  in  a  frightened  voice.  Baker 
placed  the  candle  on  the  ground  at  a  little  distance 
from  the  door,  so  that  it  would  light  all  the  space  in 
front  of  the  barn.  Then  he  called  to  Booth  to  sur- 
render. In  a  full,  clear  voice  Booth  replied: 

"  'There  is  a  man  here  who  wishes  to  surrender.' 
And  they  heard  him  say  to  Herold:  'Leave  me, 

149 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

will  you?    Go!    I  don't  want  you  to  stay!' 

"At  the  door  Herold  was  whimpering,  'Let  me 
out!  Let  me  out!  I  know  "nothing  of  this  man  in 
here.'  (As  a  matter  of  fact  Herold  knew  nothing 
of  the  man  in  there  with  him,  who  was  Ruddy,  with 
whom  he  had  been  connected  only  as  the  employe 
and  guide  for  Booth,  from  across  the  Potomac  and 
Rappahannock  rivers,  and  with  whom  Herold  had 
gone  to  Bowling  Green  and  returned  to  the  Garrett 
borne,  as  explained  by  Booth  to  me.) 

"  'Bring  out  your  arms  and  you  can  surrender,' 
insisted  Baker. 

"Herold  did  not  have  any  arms,  and  Booth  (as 
they  called  him),  finally  said:  'He  has  no  arms. 
The  arms  are  mine,  and  I  shall  keep  them. '  By  this 
time  Herold  was  praying  pieteously  to  be  let  out. 
He  said  he  was  afraid  of  being  shot,  and  begged  to 
be  allowed  to  surrender. 

"Baker  opened  the  door  a  little  and  told  him  to 
put  out  his  hands.  The  moment  the  door  opened 
Baker  seized  his  hands  and  whipped  Herold  out 
of  the  barn  and  turned  him  over  to  the  soldiers. 

"  'You  had  better  come  out,  too,'  said  Baker  to 
Booth  (or  the  man  in  the  barn.) 

"  'Tell  me  who  you  are  and  what  you  want  of 
me.  It  may  be  that  I  am  being  taken  by  my 
friends. ' 

150 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

"  'It  makes  no  difference  who  we  are,'  was  the 
reply.  'We  know  you  and  we  want  you.  We  have 
fifty  well  armed  men  stationed  around  this  barn. 
You  cannot  escape,  and  we  do  not  wish  to  kill  you.' 

"There  was  a  moment's  pause  and  then  Booth  (as 
they  supposed),  said,  falteringly:  'Captain,  that  is 
a  hard  case.  I  swear  I  am  lame.  Give  me  a  chance. 
Draw  up  your  men  twenty  yards  from  here,  and  I 
will  fight  your  whole  command.' 

"  'We  are  not  here  to  fight,'  said  Baker.  'We 
are  here  to  take  you.' 

"Booth  (as  they  supposed  him)  then  asked  for 
time  to  consider,  and  Baker  told  him  that  he  could 
have  two  minutes — no  more.  Presently  he  said: 
'Captain,  I  believe  you  are  a  brave  and  honorable 
man.  I'have  had  half  a  dozen  chances  to  shoot  you. 
I  have  had  a  bead  drawn  on  you,  and  I  have  a  bead 
drawn  on  you  now.  I  do  not  wish  to  kill  you. 
Withdraw  your  men  from  the  door  and  I  will  go 
out.  Give  me  this  chance  for  my  life.  I  will  not 
be  taken  alive. ' 

!    "Even  in  his  deep  distress  Booth  had  not  forgot- 
ten to  be  theatrical. 

"  'Your  time  is  up,'  said  Baker,  firmly.  'If  you 
don't  come  out  we  shall  fire  the  barn.' 

"  'Well,  then,  my  brave  boys,'  came  the  answer  in 
clarion  tones,  which  could  be  heard  by  the  women 

151 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

who  cowered  on  the  Garrett  porch  rods  away,  'you 
may  prepare  a  stretcher  for  me.' 

"Then  after  a  slight  pause  he  added,  'One  more 
star  on  the  glorious  old  banner.' 

"Conger  now  came  .around  the  corner  of  the  barn 
and  asked  Baker  if  he  was  ready.  Baker  nodded 
and  Conger  stepped  noiselessly  back,  drew  a  husk  of 
corn  blades  through  the  crack  in  the  barn,  scratched 
a  match,  and  in  a  moment  the  whole  interior  of  the 
barn  was  brilliant  with  light.  Baker  opened  the 
door  and  peered  in.  Booth  (as  they  supposed)  had 
been  lying  against  the  mow,  but  he  now  sprang  for- 
ward, half  blinded  by  the  glow  of  the  fire,  his 
crutches  under  his  arms  and  his  carbine  leveled  in 
the  direction  of  the  flames  as  if  he  would  shoot  the 
man  who  had  set  them  going,  but  he  coulH  not  see 
in  the  darkness  outside.  He  hesitated,  then  reeled 
forward  again.  An  old  table  was  near  at  hand.  He 
caught  hold  of  it  as  though  to  cast  it  top  side  down 
on  the  fire,  but  he  was  not  quick  enough,  and  drop- 
ping one  crutch  he  hobbled  toward  the  door.  About 
the  middle  of  the  barn  he  stopped,  drew  himself  up 
to  his  full  height  and  seemed  to  take  in  the  entire 
situation.  His  hat  was  gone,  and  his  waving,  dark 
hair  was  tossed  back  from  his  high,  white  forehead, 
his  lips  were  firmly  compressed,  and  if  he  was  pale 
the  ruddy  glow  of  the  firelight  concealed  the  fact. 

152 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

"In  his  full,  dark  eyes  there  was  an  expression  of 
mingled  hatred  and  terror,  and  the  defiance  of  a 
tiger  hunted  to  his  lair.  In  one  hand  he  held  a  car- 
bine, in  the  other  a  revolver,  and  his  belt  contained 
another  revolver  and  a  bowie  knife.  He  seemed  pre- 
pared to  fight  to  the  end,  no  matter  what  numbers 
appeared  against  him.  By  this  time  the  flames  in 
the  dry  corn  blades  had  mounted  to  the  rafters  of 
the  dingy  old  building,  arching  the  hunted  assassin 
in  a  glow  of  fire  more  brilliant  than  the  lightnings 
of  any  theater  in  which  he  had  ever  played. 

"Suddenly  Booth  (as  they  supposed  him)  threw 
aside  his  remaining  crutch,  dropped  his  carbine, 
raised  his  revolver  and  made  a  spring  for  the  door. 
It  was  his  evident  intention  to  shoot  down  any  one 
who  might  bar  his  way,  and  make  a  dash  for  liberty, 
fighting  as  he  ran. 

"Then  came  a  shock  that  sounded  above  the  roar 
of  the  flames.  Booth  (as  they  supposed  him)  leaped 
in  the  air,  then  pitched  forward  on  his  face.  Baker 
was  on  him  in  an  instant  and  grasped  both  his  arms 
to  prevent  the  use  of  the  revolver,  but  this  precau- 
tion was  entirely  unnecessary.  Booth  (as  they  sup- 
posed him)  would  struggle  no  more.  Another  mo- 
ment and  Conger  and  the  soldiers  came  rushing  in 
while  Baker  turned  the  wounded  man  over  and  felt 
for  his  heart. 

153 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

"  'He  must  have  shot  himself,'  remarked  Baker. 
*I  saw  him  the  moment  the  fire  was  lighted.  If  not, 
the  man  who  did  do  the  shooting  goes  back  to 
Washington  in  irons  for  disobedience  of  orders. ' 

"In  the  excitement  that  followed  the  firing  of  the 
barn  Sergeant  Corbett,  an  eccentric  character  who 
had  accompanied  the  cavalry  detachment,  had 
stepped  up  to  the  side  of  the  barn,  placed  his  revol- 
ver to  a  crack  between  two  boards,  and  just  as 
Booth  (as  they  supposed  him)  was  about  to  spring 
to  the  doorway  he  had  fired  the  fatal  shot. 

"Booth's  (as  they  supposed  it)  body  was  caught 
up  and  carried  out  of  the  barn  and  laid  under  an 
apple  tree  not  far  away.  Water  was  dashed  in  his 
face  and  Baker  tried  to  make  him  drink,  but  he 
seemed  unable  to  swallow.  Presently,  however,  he 
opened  his  eyes  and  seemed  to  understand  the  situa- 
tion. His  lips  moved,  and  Baker  bent  down  to  hear 

what  he  might  say.  'Tell  mother Tell  mother 

'  he  faltered,  and  then  became  unconscious. 

"The  flames  of  the  burning  barn  now  grew 
so  intense  that  it  was  necessary  to  remove  the  dying 
man  to  the  piazza  of  the  house,  where  he  was  laid 
on  a  mattress  provided  by  Mrs.  Garrett.  A  cloth 
wet  with  brandy  was  applied  to  his  lips,  and  under 
this  influence  he  revived  a  little,  then  opened  his 

154 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

eyes  and  said  with  deep  bitterness:  'Oh,  kill  me. 
Kill  me  quick!' 

"  'No,  Booth,'  (they  supposed  him  Booth),  'we 
don't  want  you  to  die.  You  were  shot  against  or- 
ders.' 

"Then  he  was  unconscious  again  for  several  min- 
utes and  they  thought  he  would  never  speak  again, 
but  his  breast  heaved  and  he  acted  as  if  he  wished 
to  say  something. 

"Baker  placed  his  ear  at  the  dying  man's  mouth 
and  Booth  (so  they  supposed)  faltered:  'Tell 
mother  I  died  for  my  country.  I  did  what  I  thought 
was  best.'  With  a  feeling  of  pity  and  tenderness 
Baker  lifted  the  limp  hand,  but  it  fell  back  again 
by  his  side  as  if  dead.  Booth  (as  they  supposed) 
seemed  conscious  of  the  movement.  He  turned  his 
eyes  and  muttered  'Hopeless,  useless,'  and  he  was 
dead." 

I  must  be  pardoned  for  cutting  short  the  circuit- 
ous and  superfluous  language  Baker  employs  in  his 
further  narrative  on  reaching  Washington  with  the 
body  of  the  man  he  supposed  to  be  Booth,  but  will 
condense  his  statements.  He  says  the  body  was 
taken  from  the  Garrett  home  to  the  river  and  placed 
on  the  gunboat  from  which  they  had  disembarked 
(the  steamer  John  S.  Ide),  and  thence  up  the  Poto- 
mac river  to  Washington  City,  where  the  body  was 

155 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

removed  to  another  gunboat,  Sangatuck,  lying  at 
anchor  near  the  navy  yard.  An  autopsy  and  in- 
quest was  held  here,  the  bullet  was  taken  out  of  the 
head  of  the  body  and  produced  as  evidence  of  the 
cause  of  the  death  of  the  man  whose  body  they  had. 
Then  Conger  produced  such  evidence  as  they  had  of 
the  identity  of  the  body  as  that  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth,  which  follows :  The  diary,  the  letters  or  pa- 
pers and  the  pictures  of  Booth's  two  relatives,  the 
carbines,  the  belt  and  a  compass,  which  were  placed 
in  the  hands  of  Col.  Baker,  in  charge  of  the  body, 
and  all  of  which  Col.  Baker  delivered  to  the  officers 
of  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  the  body,  without  fur- 
ther identification,  was  buried  in  a  cell  on  the 
ground  floor  of  the  old  navy  prison. 

So  much  for  the  article  of  Mr.  Eay  Stannard  Ba- 
ker, a  relative  of  Col.  L.  C.  Baker,  and  Lieut.  L.  B. 
Baker,  as  refers  to  the  pursuit  of  and  supposed  cap- 
ture and  killing  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  which  is  re- 
produced above  because  he  writes  of  the  subject  as 
of  information  from  Lieut.  L.  B.  Baker,  the  man  who 
was  last  in  pursuit  of  Booth,  and  who  is  supposed 
to  have  captured  and  killed  Booth. 

By  a  casual  reading,  and  without  investigation, 
the  statements  made  by  Mr.  Ray  Stannard  Baker 
would  seem  conclusive,  but  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr. 
Baker  has  stated  fiction  for  facts,  assuming  without 

156 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

proof  that  the  man  in  the  supposed  barn  or  crib 
was  Booth,  and  that  the  man  killed  was  Booth,  the 
truth  of  which  fact  must  rest  on  the  subsequent 
identification  of  the  body  which  Lieut.  Baker  carried 
to  Washington,  assuming  it  to  be  the  body  of  Booth. 
Upon  this  proof  of  identification  of  the  body  by 
Conger,  who  produced  Booth's  two  pictures  and  the 
papers  mentioned,  together  with  a  carbine,  a  belt 
and  a  compass,  they  were  placed  in  the  hands  of 
Col.  Baker  and  were  the  only  proof  offered  for  the 
identification  of  Booth. 

Does  this  prove  the  body  to  be  that  of  Booth? 
No,  not  directly,  not  positively.  But  the  evidence 
offered  was  merely  circumstantial,  if  found  on  the 
body  of  the  dead  man,  as  tending  to  show  that  it  was 
the  body  of  Booth,  upon  the  presumption  that  such 
things  as  belonged  to  Booth  would  be  found  on  his 
body,  but  does  not  negative  the  probability  or  pos- 
sibility of  finding  these  matters  of  evidence  on  the 
body  of  some  man  other  than  Booth.  It  is  claimed, 
and  history  discloses,  that  none  of  the  pursuing 
party  under  Lieut.  Baker,  nor  even  he  himself,  knew 
either  Booth  or  Herold,  but  they  were  furnished 
photographs  of  them  for  their  identification,  while 
at  the  inquest  the  body  was  not  identified  by  the  pic- 
ture of  Booth,  so  far  as  we  are  informed,  though 
it  was  then  and  there  in  the  possession  of  Lieut. 

157 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

Baker.  There  was  no  further  proof  of  the  identity 
of  the  body  as  that  of  Booth  except  the  pictures  of 
Booth's  relatives,  the  letters,  etc.,  offered  by  Con- 
ger, and  this  was  solely  relied  on.  If  the  body  had 
been  that  of  Booth  positive  identification  could  have 
been  had  by  comparison  with  his  pictures,  while 
hundreds,  yea,  perhaps  thousands  of  the  people  liv- 
ing in  Washington  could  have  been  called  on  to  pos- 
itively identify  the  dead  body  of  Booth  under  oath. 
There  were  so  many  who  knew  him  personally  and 
others  who  had  so  often  seen  him  on  the  stage  that  it 
would  have  been  almost  as  easy  to  have  identified 
the  body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  as  that  of  President 
Lincoln,  whom  he  had  assassinated.  Why  was  not 
this  done?  Because  even  Lieut.  Baker  says:  "In- 
deed, there  were  rumors  widely  circulated  in  certain 
parts  of  the  country  that  Booth  had  never  been  cap- 
tured." And  before  the  trial  of  the  conspirators 
was  begun  he  was  again  sent  into  lower  Maryland 
to  collect  evidence  against  Booth  and  his  accom- 
plices, and  was  so  far  successful  as  to  find  the  boat 
in  which  Booth  and  Herold  had  crossed  the  Potomac 
river,  and  Booth's  opera  glasses  hidden  near  the 
Garrett  home,  both  of  which  he  took  back  to  Wash- 
ington. 

How  is  it  that  Baker,  on  his  second  visit,  found 
Booth 's  opera,  or  field  glasses,  hidden  near  the  Gar- 

158 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

rett  home?  It  is  evidence  of  two  things:  First, 
that  Booth  had  been  out  from  the  Garrett  home,  as 
he  was  when  notified  by  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge  to 
go  to  the  wooded  spot  near  the  Garrett  house  and 
wait  for  them,  where  they  would  come  for  him 
(which  Booth  said  he  did),  and  this  is  how  and  why 
the  glasses  were  found,  as  Baker  says,  "hidden  near 
the  Garrett  home,"  lost  or  dropped  by  Booth  as  he 
sought  the  secluded  hiding  place  in  the  woods. 

Second,  it  was  not  Booth  in  the  barn,  as  they  sup- 
posed. If  it  had  been  they  would  have  found  the 
glasses  there,  as  we  have  no  record  of  Booth  having 
left  the  Garrett  home,  except  by  Booth  (St.  Helen), 
and  by  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge,  who  say  that  Booth 
was  alone  when  they  notified  him  to  leave.  They 
looked  for  Herold  and  he  was  not  there.  This  was 
a  fact,  for  Herold  had  not  returned  with  Ruddy 
from  Bowling  Green,  and  they  did  not  reach  the 
Garrett  home  until  10  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the 
day  that  Booth  left  the  Garrett  home  (at  about  2  or 
3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon).  Of  this  we  have  the 
preponderance  of  proof,  to-wit :  Ruggles  and  Bain- 
bridge say  they  "found  Booth  on  the  lawn  in  front 
of  the  Garrett  home  and  notified  him  to  leave;" 
that  he  did  leave  alone,  and  that  they  especially 
looked  for  Herold  and  he  was  not  present. 

159 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

St.  Helen,  or  Booth,  says  he  left  the  Garrett  home 
alone.  Old  man  Garrett  said,  in  reply  to  Lieut. 
Baker,  that  they  had  gone  to  the  woods,  referring 
to  Booth,  Euggles  and  Bainbridge,  while  young  Gar- 
rett said  to  Lieut.  Baker  they  had  returned,  refer- 
ring to  Buddy  and  Herold,  who  had  come  in  late 
that  evening  from  Bowling  Green,  Virginia,  expect- 
ing to  meet  Booth,  where  Booth  had  agreed  to  re- 
main in  waiting  for  them,  and  would  have  done  so, 
except  for  the  warning  from  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge 
five  or  six  hours  before  Herold  and  Ruddy  returned. 

It  is  evident  that  the  government  was  not  satis- 
fied with  the  only  proof  they  had  of  Booth's  death, 
to-wit:  The  letters,  pictures,  etc.,  furnished  them  by 
Conger  and  Baker,  that  the  body  turned  over  to  it  by 
Baker  and  Conger  was  actually  that  of  Booth ;  and 
were  much  puzzled  by  the  circumstances  of  finding 
Booth 's  letters,  etc.,  on  this  body  which  was  claimed 
to  be  that  of  Booth,  and  this  was  at  least  a  strong 
circumstantial  evidence  of  identity  to  those  who  did 
not  know  Booth  by  sight;  but  in  Washington  City 
there  was  no  excuse  for  not  obtaining  positive  iden- 
tification of  Booth's  body  because  there  were  hun- 
dreds of  people  there  who  knew  him  personally. 

If  the  government  had  been  satisfied  that  the  body 
delivered  by  Baker  and  Conger  was  that  of  John 
kWilkes  Booth  I  dare  say  it  would  have  been  placed 

160 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

on  public  exhibition  rather  than  have  been  held  in 
the  secret  manner  in  which  it  was.  At  least,  the 
body  would  have  been  sufficiently  exposed  for  pub- 
lic and  positive  identification,  which  would  have 
been  a  matter  of  general  satisfaction  to  the  Ameri- 
can people,  for  all  sections  of  the  country  were  clam- 
oring for  the  execution  of  the  man  who  had  taken 
the  life  of  President  Lincoln.  For  some  reason  this 
was  not  done,  and  it  has  not  been  done  to  this  day, 
as  will  be  learned  upon  the  further  reading  of  this 
story,  where,  in  an  unofficial  statement  from  the 
War  Department,  it  is  admitted  that  the  govern- 
ment has  no  direct  or  positive  evidence  of  the  cap- 
ture and  death  of  John  Wilkes  Booth.  In  fact,  the 
government  has  no  proof  of  the  capture  and  death 
of  John  Wilkes  Booth  other  than  the  finding  of  the 
letters,  pictures,  etc.,  of  Booth  on  the  body  of  the 
man  captured,  killed  and  delivered  by  Baker  and 
Conger. 

Again,  observe  the  minuteness  and  apparent  per- 
fection of  detail  of  Mr.  Ray  Stannard  Baker,  who 
was  not  present,  but  who  assumes  to  speak  as  one 
present,  presenting  the  most  minute  act,  movement, 
to  the  very  utterances  and  tone  of  voice  attributed 
to  Booth,  in  the  supposed  burning  of  the  barn  or 
corn  crib,  and  that,  too,  written  thirty-two  years 
after  the  supposed  capture  and  killing  took  place. 

161 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

That  is,  Booth  was  supposed  to  have  been  killed  on  or 
about  April  26, 1865,  and  Mr.  Baker  writes  and  pub- 
lishes his  article  in  May,  1897,  and  admits  that  he 
was  not  present  at  the  time  in  the  pursuit  of  Booth, 
and  personally  knew  nothing  of  what  he  wrote. 
Therefore,  the  physical  facts  and  admissions  con- 
demn Mr.  Baker's  article  as  one  of  misinformation 
and  pure  invention  or  fiction — a  misleading  state- 
ment of  an  historical  occurrence.  For  instance,  he 
refers  to  the  dark  outlines  of  the  dingy  barn  and  to- 
bacco house,  where  Booth  is  claimed  to  have  been 
killed,  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  was  there  a  barn 
on  the  place  at  all,  or  only  two  small  corn  cribs  con- 
structed of  poles  or  small  logs,  as  is  seen  in  the  true 
pictures  of  the  Garrett  home  here  presented  ?  Bos- 
ton Corbett,  himself,  recently  said  that  he  "shot 
Booth  in  a  little  house  through  a  crack."  Boston 
Corbett  was  present  and  shot  the  man  who  was 
killed,  so  it  will  be  seen  that  Baker's  description  of 
the  barn  is  purely  one  of  his  imagination. 

Again,  Baker  has  this  man,  supposed  to  be  Booth, 
on  two  crutches  in  the  barn,  within  the  glare  of  the 
burning  barn,  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  Booth  at  no 
time  had  two  crutches,  but  used  only  one,  that  made 
from  an  old  broom  handle  by  Dr.  Mudd  ten  days 
prior  to  the  time  of  which  Baker  writes,  and  this 

162 


DAVID     E.     HEROLD. 

The  Accomplice  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and  the  Garrett 
Home,  Where  He  Was  Captured,  Ruddy  Killed,  and  From 
Which  Booth  Escaped,  Going  to  the  Wooded  Spot  Just 
North  of  the  House. 


, 

g  cS£g 
H    oJ3      (t 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

was  discarded  by  Booth  before  he  reached  the  Gar- 
rett  home.  At  the  Garrett  home  Booth  was  merely 
using  a  stick  for  support,  the  injury  to  his  leg  being 
a  sprained  ankle  and  slight  fracture  of  the  shin 
bone,  about  six  inches  above  the  ankle,  and  when 
Booth  left  the  Garrett 's  he  was  only  using  this  stick. 
Again,  if  there  was  no  barn  to  burn — and  we  under- 
stand there  was  none — then  none  was  burned,  as 
claimed  and  written  of  by  Mr.  Baker.  The  man 
killed  was  killed  in  the  left  hand  corn  crib,  as  you 
face  them  in  the  picture  of  the  Garrett  home  and 
barnyard,  shown  in  this  volume,  which  is  a  true  re- 
production of  the  Garrett  home,  together  with  the 
corn  cribs  as  they  were  on  the  26th  day  of  April, 
1865,  and  as  we  presume  they  are  now.  So  that  Baker 
neither  had  Booth,  a  barn  or  even  a  large  corn  crib 
for  the  tragic  play  he  writes  of  Booth  and  his  kill- 
ing at  the  Garrett  home  on  the  early  morning  of  the 
26th  day  of  April,  1865.  So  his  sentimental  and  pa- 
thetic story  of  the  capture  and  killing  of  Booth  is 
one  drawn  from  his  imagination,  written  prin- 
cipally, it  would  appear,  for  the  purpose 
of  robbing  Lieutenant  E.  P.  Dougherty  of  his 
share  in  the  participation  of  the  famous  pur- 
suit and  supposed  capture  of  Booth,  who,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  had  command  of  the  squad  of 
cavalry  in  pursuit  of  Booth,  and  is  justly  entitled 

163 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

to  any  credit  that  is  due  the  commander  of  this 
now  famous  troop;  for  it  was  Dougherty  who  was 
the  superior  officer  in  command  of  the  whole  cam- 
paign in  pursuit  of  Booth,  under  the  direction  of  Col. 
L.  C.  Baker,  who  remained  at  Washington.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  Mr.  Baker's  article  is  an  apparent 
plagiarism  of  Capt.  Edward  P.  Dougherty's  report 
of  his  pursuit,  capture  and  killing  of  the  man  sup- 
posed to  be  John  Wilkes  Booth,  published  in  Janu- 
ary, 1890,  twenty-five  years  after  the  incident ;  while 
Mr.  Baker  writes  and  publishes  his  remarkable 
story  seven  years  after  Capt.  Dougherty's  is  pub- 
lished and  thirty-two  years  after  the  supposed  kill- 
ing of  Booth. 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  the  personages 
found  at  the  Garrett  home  and  the  facts  reported 
by  the  Federal  troops  in  command  of  Capt.  Dough- 
erty, we  wish  to  say  that  from  all  obtainable  proof 
on  both  sides,  which  best  harmonizes  with  reason 
and  is  most  consonant  with  truth,  Booth  was  car- 
ried to  the  Garrett  home  by  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge, 
who  remained  to  watch  over  him  until  Herold  and 
Buddy  should  return  from  Bowling  Green.  And 
before  Herold  and  Ruddy  could  return  for  Booth, 
as  had  been  prearranged  the  day  before  the  troops 
came  in  pursuit,  they  having  to  walk  going  and 
coming  from  the  Garrett  home  to  Bowling  Green,  a 

164 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

distance  of  twenty  to  twenty-four  miles,  the  nearest 
route  they  could  travel  from  Ports  Royal  and  Con- 
way  would  require  the  entire  afternoon  of  the  day 
they  crossed  the  Rappahannock  river,  or  more,  to 
reach  Bowling  Green,  and  they  most  likely  remained 
there  half  of  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day,  so  they 
could  not  have  reached  the  Garrett  home  before 
late  in  the  evening  if  they  left  Bowling  Green  at  12 
o  'clock  noon.  And  there  is  some  proof  to  show  they 
did  arrive  at  the  Garrett  home  about  10  o'clock  that 
night — the  same  day  on  which  Booth  left  the  Gar- 
rett home  in  the  afternoon — and  that  as  a  fact 
Ruddy  and  Herold  were  at  the  Garrett  home  asleep 
in  the  back  or  shed  room  of  the  house,  which  has  a 
door  opening  out  in  direct  line  to  the  gate  opening 
into  the  horse  lot,  as  they  are  commonly  called  hi 
the  upland  countries  of  the  South.  Booth  left  the 
Garrett  home  about  2  or  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
and  Ruddy  and  Herold  arrived  at  the  Garrett  home 
about  10  o'clock  that  night,  six  or  seven  hours  later. 
Thus  when  Capt.  Dougherty,  guided  by  Jett,  came 
upon  the  Garrett  home  and  surrounded  the  house 
on  the  early  morning  of  the  next  day — the  morning 
following  the  day  on  which  Booth  left — they  found 
Ruddy  and  Herold  asleep  in  this  back  room,  who, 
when  awakened  by  hearing  the  noise  made  by  the 
Federal  troops  around  the  house,  with  Capt  Dough- 

165 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTON. 

erty  demanding  admission  from  old  man  Garrett  at 
the  front  entrance  of  the  house,  made  a  dash  under 
cover  of  the  darkness  (the  hour  being  between  5 
and  4  o'clock  in  the  morning)  for  the  first  hiding 
place,  making  their  escape  out  of  this  back  doorway 
through  the  gate  mentioned  and  went  into  the 
corn  crib,  where  they  were  discovered.  They  were 
located  in  this  crib  and  surrounded  by  the  soldiers, 
and  Herold  was  taken,  a  prisoner.  And  it  was  here 
in  this  crib  that  Boston  Corbett,  against  orders,  shot 
and  killed  the  man  supposed  to  be  John  Wilkes 
Booth.  The  body  of  Ruddy  was  taken  from  the 
crib,  after  being  shot,  and  on  his  body  was  found 
the  letters,  etc.,  belonging  to  Booth  which  Ruddy 
had  taken  from  the  wagon  after  Booth  had  left  the 
ferry  and  which  he  was  trying  to  deliver  to  Booth 
at  the  Garrett  home,  as  promised  at  their  last  meet- 
ing, but  which,  because  Booth  was  gone,  he  could 
not  deliver.  So  when  Ruddy  was  killed  they  were 
found  on  his  body.  Finding  the  letters,  pictures, 
etc.,  belonging  to  Booth  on  the  body  of  the  man  who 
was  killed,  Capt.  Dougherty  reached  the  conclusion 
that  the  body  in  his  possession  was  that  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  and  thus  it  was  that  through  the  cir- 
cumstances mentioned  the  body  of  Ruddy  was  iden- 
tified as  the  body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth. 

166 


THE  HAND  OF  SECRETARY  STANTOH 

Two  facts  we  wish  to  emphasize — they  are  unan- 
swerable— brought  out  and  agreed  upon  by  all  that 
has  been  written  and  said  on  the  subject.  They  are : 
First,  that  Booth  was  carried  to  the  Garrett  home 
by  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge,  Confederate  soldiers  be- 
longing to  Mosby's  command.  Second,  that  Booth 
had  notice  of  the  pursuit  by  the  Federal  troops ;  that 
being  notified  by  Ruggles  and  Bainbridge,  Booth  did 
leave  the  Garrett  home  at  their  urgent  request  for 
his  (Booth's)  safety;  that  they  did  see  him  leave 
alone,  with  the  earnest  and  determined  purpose  to 
make  good  his  escape,  with  a  full  knowledge  of  his 
present  and  impending  danger  of  being  captured, 
which  he  knew  was  death. 

Can  any  one,  under  these  circumstances  and  con- 
ditions, believe  that  Booth  did  not  go  and  continue 
to  go?  Can  any  one  believe  that  he  would  at  that 
time  have  returned  to  the  Garrett  home?  The  sane 
and  reasonable  answer  to  these  queries  is  unques- 
tionably and  unequivocally — NO. 


16T 


CHAPTER  XH. 
GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

After  having  read  the  publication  of  Gen.  Dana 
in  December,  1897,  I  remembered  anew  the  inci- 
dents connected  with  the  confessions  of  St.  Helen 
and  went  persistently  to  work  to  ascertain,  if  pos- 
sible, the  truth  with  respect  to  the  escape  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth. 

I  wrote  at  once  to  Gen.  Dana  for  further  facts. 

Having  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the  Booth  fam- 
ily before  my  meeting  with  St.  Helen,  I  could  only 
explain  the  information  I  had  received  from  him 
concerning  this  family  and  the  escape  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth  upon  the  theory  that  St.  Helen  was 
related  to  Herold  and  knew  Booth's  personal  and 
family  affairs  by  reason  of  his  association  with 
either  Booth  or  Herold,  or  both.  So,  I  assumed, 
without  foundation  in  fact,  that  the  tintype  picture 
of  himself  given  me  by  St.  Helen  when  he  believed 
he  was  dying  must  be  a  picture  of  some  one  of 
the  Herolds.  So  I  wrote  Gen.  Dana,  who  in  return 
sent  me  the  first  pictures  I  ever  remember  to  have 

168 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

seen  of  Booth,  also  Herold  and  others.  I  at  once 
identified  John  Wilkes  Booth  for  the  first  time,  by 
comparing  the  tintype  picture  of  St.  Helen  with  the 
picture  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  sent  me  by  Dana.  St. 
Helen  was  indeed  the  man  he  claimed  to  be — John 
Wilkes  Booth.  I  at  once  had  a  picture  made  from 
the  tintype  and  sent  it  to  Dana,  whose  reply,  from 
Lubec,  Maine,  January  17,  1898,  with  respect  to  this 
picture,  is  as  follows: 

"Dear  Sir:  Your  favor  of  January  8th  at  hand 
and  read.  I  must  say  I  was  somewhat  surprised  at 
the  turn  things  took,  for  I  expected  the  likeness  of 
Herold,  or  that  it  would  have  some  of  the  features 
in  it  of  the  man  Herold  you  wrote  me  about,  but  it 
seems  it  was  Booth  instead. 

"Can  this  be  J.  B.  Booth,  brother  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth?  Will  it  be  asking  too  much  of  you  to  send 
me  a  copy  of  the  confession  which  you  have?  I 
would  like  to  have  it  for  my  own  satisfaction.  If  I 
can  be  of  any  help  to  you,  will  gladly  aid  all  I  can. 
Regarding  J.  B.  Booth,  I  shall  write  to  some  one  of 
the  Booth  family  and  learn  all  I  can  of  his  death, 
and  where.  When  received  will  send  to  you. 

"Respectfully  yours,  etc., 

"(Signed.)  DAVID  D.  DANA." 

169 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

Especial  attention  is  called  to  Gen.  Dana's  identi- 
fication of  the  tintype  picture  as  that  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth,  and  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Booth 
family,  asking  as  he  does  if  this  picture  is  that  of  his 
brother,  J.  B.  Booth,  and  the  readiness  with  which 
he  could  approach  "some  one  of  the  Booth  family 
and  learn  all  I  can  of  his  death,"  getting  all  the 
information  he  desired  of  J.  B.  Booth,  whom  he 
claimed  to  be  dead,  and  whose  name  had  in  no  way 
been  brought  into  the  discussion  except  by  Gen. 
Dana.  But  for  some  reason  unknown  to  me  Gen. 
Dana  did  not  write  giving  me  the  information  which 
he  had  voluntarily  promised. 


I  have  since  learned,  however,  that  the  brother  of 
Booth  unmistakably  referred  to  by  Gen.  Dana  as 
J.  B.  Booth  was  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  the  oldest 
brother  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  who,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  years  spent  in  the  West,  lived  and  died 
in  Boston,  Mass.  The  next  eldest  brother  lived  and 
died  in  New  York  City.  The  youngest  brother,  Dr. 
Joseph  Adrian  Booth,  a  physician  of  acknowledged 
ability,  was  associated  with  his  brother,  Edwin 
Booth,  the  famous  actor  of  New  York  City,  in  a  busi- 
ness way  other  than  that  of  acting,  as  he  made 
no  pretention  to  the  stage,  died  some  years  ago,  I 
am  informed. 

170 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

Of  these  four  brothers  only  John  Wilkes  Booth 
came  South,  and  he  only  after  the  assassination  of 
President  Lincoln,  the  other  brothers  living  and 
dying  in  the  East. 

The  entire  Booth  family,  consisting  of  two  sisters 
and  four  brothers,  of  which  John  Wilkes  was  one, 
were  similar  in  appearance,  and  you  would  recog- 
nize a  family  likeness,  yet  they  were  very  unlike  in 
many  features,  so  that  no  one  knowing  the  family 
could  mistake  one  for  the  other.  This  statement  is 
made  from  actual  knowledge,  for  I  have  before  me 
the  pictures  of  the  entire  Booth  family,  the  father 
and  mother,  four  brothers  and  two  sisters,  which 
constitutes  the  entire  family.  Should  any  one  doubt 
the  accuracy  of  this  statement  or  be  curious  to  see, 
he  may  dispel  the  one  and  gratify  the  other  by  secur- 
ing a  copy  of  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer,  published 
April  27,  1902,  and  find  the  group  referred  to  at 
page  1,  section  4,  of  this  Sunday  edition,  a  study  of 
which  I  affirm  will  prove  the  statements  made  by 
me  in  regard  to  the  Booth  family. 

The  identification  of  the  tintype  picture  of  St. 
Helen  as  that  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  by  Gen.  Dana 
stirred  to  activity  my  resting  energies  and  revived 
my  purpose  to  investigate.  I  at  once  began  to  call 
for  proof  of  the  death  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and 
began  by  asking  of  Dana  what  evidence  they  had 

171 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

of  the  capture  and  killing  of  Booth.  In  reply  to 
this  lettter  Gen.  Dana  says,  by  letter  of  date  Decem- 
ber 25,  1897: 

"Booth,  I  personally  knew;  Herold  I  did  not. 
After  Booth  was  killed  he  was  brought  to  the  navy 
yard,  and  I  went  on  the  boat  and  identified  him. 
But  the  body  was  very  much  thinner  and  features 
very  much  pinched  up,  as  though  he  had  suffered  a 
great  deal. 

"He  was  buried  near  the  old  jail  and  a  battery  of 
artillery  drawn  over  his  grave  to  obliterate  all  trace 
of  it." 

Thus  we  have  Gen.  Dana  claiming  to  identify  the 
body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  on  the  boat  in  April, 
1865,  with  the  reservation  that  the  body  was  much 
thinner  and  features  much  more  pinched  up  than 
usual  for  Booth,  and  on  the  17th  day  of  January, 
1898,  thirty-three  years  later,  we  have  Gen.  Dana 
identifying  John  Wilkes  Booth  from  a  tintype  pic- 
ture of  St.  Helen,  claiming  to  be  Booth,  taken  twelve 
years  after  Dana  is  supposed  to  have  identified  the 
dead  body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  on  the  boat.  Which 
identification  is  CORRECT? 

Was  it  Booth's  body  on  the  boat,  or  was  it  the 
living  Booth  sitting  for  the  picture  taken  at  Glen- 
rose  Mills,  in  Western  Texas,  twelve  years  after  his 

172 


GEN.    LEW   WALLACE. 

One    of   the   Military   Court   Who    Sentenced   Mrs.    Surratt    and 
Others   to   Be   Hanged. 


EDWIN    BOOTH, 
At    the    Age    of    31. 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

dead  body  is  supposed  to  have  lain  on  the  boat  at 
Washington  ? 

This  leaves  a  doubt  in  the  minds  of  all  men  who 
read  this  state  of  facts.  Under  the  rule  of  law  in 
the  application  of  evidence  in  matters  criminal  the 
doubt  resolves  itself  against  the  truth  of  the  witness 
and  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  is  given  to  the  defend- 
ant, Booth.  Dana  both  identifies  the  supposed  body 
of  Booth  on  the  boat  and  then  unquestionably  identi- 
fies the  living  Booth  from  the  tintype  picture,  taken 
as  before  stated.  This  being  true,  then  applying  the 
legal  rule  as  to  civil  proof,  his  evidence  stands  at  an 
equipoise,  and  under  that  condition  we  find  in  favor 
of  Booth's  escape  until  there  is  a  preponderance  of 
proof  to  the  contrary. 

Being  advised  that  Gen.  Lew  Wallace  was  the 
only  surviving  member  of  the  military  court  which 
tried  and  convicted  David  E.  Herold,  Mrs.  Surratt 
and  others,  by  the  judgment  of  which  court  Herold 
and  Mrs.  Surratt  were  hanged  and  the  others  con- 
victed, I  wrote  under  the  date  of  January  25,  1898, 
calling  on  Gen.  Wallace  for  the  proof  which  was 
heard  at  that  court.  I  also  asked  for  such  evidence 
as  was  then  and  now  in  possession  of  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  showing  that  Booth  had 
been  captured  and  killed. 

173 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

The  General  replied  as  follows: 

"Crawfordsville,  Ind.,  Jan.  27,  1898. 

"Dear  Sir:  In  reply  to  yours  of  the  25th  inst.,  I 
beg  to  say  that  to  my  certain  knowledge  John 
Wilkes  Booth  was  buried  under  a  brick  pavement 
in  a  room  of  the  old  penitentiary  prison  of  Wash- 
ington City ;  also  that  after  he  had  lain  buried  there 
for  a  time,  at  the  request  of  his  friends,  his  remains 
were  taken  up  and  transferred  to  Baltimore,  where 
they  now  lie,  under  a  very  handsome  marble  monu- 
ment erected  to  his  memory  by  men  of  whom  I  have 
reason  to  think  as  little  as  I  did  him.  Respectfully 
yours, 

"  (Signed.)  LEW  WALLACE." 

From  this  man,  great  in  war  and  greater  by  far 
in  the  literary  field  of  fiction,  I  expected  much  val- 
uable proof  or  suggestions  germane  to  the  issue,  but 
the  reading  of  Gen.  Wallace 's  letter  can  best  explain 
the  disappointment  it  contained  in  this  respect.  He 
speaks  positively  of  his  knowledge,  without  giving 
the  facts  on  which  that  knowledge  was  based — an 
evasion  keen  and  shrewd,  that  others  might  measure 
the  sufficiency  of  the  proofs  by  his  conviction  (cer- 
tain knowledge.)  Therefore,  in  the  absence  of  spe- 
cific facts,  heard  by  him  before  a  military  court,  we 
must  rationally  conclude  that  his  conviction  (cer- 
tain knowledge)  is  born  of  the  result  of  the  circum- 

174 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

stantial  evidence,  the  finding  of  the  letters,  pictures, 
etc.,  belonging  to  Booth  on  the  supposed  body  of 
Booth.  A  body  said  to  be  Booth's  was  buried, 
Gen.  Wallace  says,  and  subsequently  exhumed  and 
transplanted  from  Washington  City  at  the  Old  Navy 
Yard,  to  the  Booth  lot  in  a  Baltimore  cemetery,  and 
a  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of  Booth.  These 
are  mere  circumstances  tending  to  create  the  impres- 
sion that  the  body  so  transplanted  was  that  of  Booth, 
but  is  at  best  a  mere  surmise,  and  in  the  absence  of 
other  and  further  positive  and  direct  proof  does  not 
justify  a  finding  of  facts  as  of  certain  and  personal 
knowledge. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Gen.  Wallace  says  that  the 
body  of  Booth  was  buried  under  a  "brick  pavement 
in  a  room  of  the  old  penitentiary  prison  of  Washing- 
ton City,"  to  his  "certain  knowledge,"  while  Gen. 
Dana  says,  and  is  equally  positive  of  his  "certain 
knowledge,"  that  the  "body  was  buried  out  in  the 
old  Navy  Yard,  and  a  battery  of  artillery  run  over 
the  grave  to  obliterate  any  trace  of  it."  This  is  a 
complete  contradiction  of  the  statement  of  Gen.  Wal- 
lace, based  on  his  "certain  knowledge,"  and  this 
can  not  be  an  immaterial  mistake  merely  as  to  de- 
tail between  these  two  gentlemen,  because  each  has 
stated  matters  of  material  physical  facts,  based  on 
their  own  knowledge,  yet  in  direct  contradiction  of 

175 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

each  other.  Then  the  question  is,  Who  is  right?/ 
For  if  the  body  was  buried  as  Gen.  Wallace  says, 
"under  a  brick  pavement  in  a  room  of  the  old  peni- 
tentiary prison  of  Washington  City,"  then  it  could 
not  have  been  buried,  as  Gen.  Dana  says,  "out  in 
the  Navy  Yard,"  the  grave  being  obliterated  by 
"running  a  battery  of  artillery  over  it."  It  was  not 
in  the  building  if  it  was  out  in  the  yard,  and  not  out 
in  the  yard  if  it  was  in  the  building.  Then,  who  is 
RIGHT? 

It  is  a  physical  impossibility  for  them  both  to  be 
correct,  but  it  is  possible  for  them  both  to  be  mis- 
taken. And  so,  in  being  mistaken,  their  "certain 
knowledge"  of  these  facts  must  fall.  To  these  state- 
ments, contradictory  as  they  are,  I  hold  their  sol- 
emn signed  letters,  including  the  statements  made, 
which  I  thought  at  the  time,  and  now  think,  come 
from  among  the  best  sources  of  information  on  this 
subject,  yet  they  are  to  be  further  contradicted  and 
worse  confounded  by  the  statement  of  others. 

The  public  press,  in  referring  to  the  death  of  the 
late  Wm.  P.  Wood,  of  Washington  City,  said : 

"In  the  passing  of  the  late  Wm.  P.  Wood,  in 
Washington,  several  weeks  ago,  there  has  gone  a 
man  whose  associations  with  the  central  figures  in 
the  Lincoln  assassination  tragedy  were  of  the  most 
intimate  character.  Col.  Wood  was  of  the  Secret 

176 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

Service  at  the  time  of  the  assassination,  the  thirty- 
eighth  anniversary  of  which  will  occur  next  Tues- 
day, and  was  in  Cincinnati  when  President  Lincoln 
was  shot.  A  telegram  from  Secretary  of  War  Stan- 
ton  to  him  requesting  him  to  come  to  Washington 
was  the  first  information  Col.  Wood  had  that  John 
Wilkes  Booth  was  the  assassin  of  President  Lincoln. 

"Col.  Wood,  in  speaking  of  the  burial  of  the  body 
of  Booth,  said: 

"  'The  body  of  Booth  was  taken  off  the  steamer 
Ide  April  27,  1865,  down  the  Potomac  river;  from 
the  steamer  it  was  placed  on  a  boat  by  Capt.  Baker 
and  his  nephew,  a  lieutenant  in  the  New  York 
Seventy-first  Volnnteers,  and  carried  to  an  island 
twenty-seven  miles  from  Washington,  and  secretly 
buried  there.  That  story  was  given  out  that  Booth 
had  been  buried  under  the  flagstone  in  the  district 
jail  was  only  told  to  keep  the  public  mind  at  ease 
and  satisfy  public  curiosity." 

So,  while  Gen.  Wallace  and  Gen.  Dana  contradict 
each  other  they  are  both  contradicted  by  Col.  Wood, 
making  confusion  confounded,  while  Capt.  B.  W. 
Hillard,  of  Metropolis,  Illinois,  recently  published  a 
statement  in  which  he  said  that  he  "was  one  of  four 
privates  who  carried  the  remains  of  Booth  from  the 
old  Capital  Prison  in  Washington  to  a  gunboat, 
which  carried  them  about  ten  miles  down  the  Po- 
rn 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

tomac  river,  when  the  body  was  sunk  in  the  river,'* 
etc.  Therefore,  Gen.  Dana,  Col.  Wood  and  Capt. 
Hillard  say  by  their  statements  that  Gen.  Wallace  is 
mistaken.  Gen.  Wallace,  Col.  Wood  and  Capt.  Hill- 
ard say  that  Gen.  Dana  is  mistaken,  while  Col.  Wood 
and  Capt.  Hillard  say  that  both  Gen.  Wallace  and 
Gen.  Dana  are  mistaken,  and  Col.  Wood  and  Capt. 
Hillard  are  agreed  upon  the  material  points  that  the 
supposed  body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  was  buried  in 
the  Potomac  river,  differing  only  in  the  immaterial 
point  as  to  the  distance  the  body  was  carried  down 
the  river.  Therefore,  from  the  weight  or  prepon- 
derance of  proof,  it  appears  that  the  body  was  bur- 
ied in  the  Potomac  river.  If  this  was  in  fact  the 
body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  why  was  it  secretly  and 
mysteriously  handled  around,  as  shown  in  these 
statements,  while  the  masses  of  the  people  of  the 
United  States  were  clamoring  for  the  avenging  of 
the  death  of  President  Lincoln?  What  could  have 
been  more  satisfactory  than  for  the  government  to 
have  made  public  proffer  of  the  body?  This,  it 
seems,  common  judgment  would  have  dictated  to 
the  officials  then  in  power.  And  we  believe  it 
would  have  been  done  if  in  truth  and  in  fact  this 
body  in  question  had  been  that  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth.  And  why  did  not  the  government  in  this 
instance  turn  the  body  over  publicly  to  Booth's 

178 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

family?  This  is  the  custom  of  the  government — 
State  and  national — in  dealing  with  their  executed 
dead.  This  was  done  in  the  case  of  Guitteau,  the  as- 
sassin of  President  Garfield,  and  Czolgolsz,  the  as- 
sassin of  President  McKinley.  Why  this  exception 
with  the  body  of  Booth  ? 

Col.  Wood  says  that  the  story  of  the  burial  of 
Booth's  body  at  the  "Navy  Yard  was  circulated  to 
gratify  the  people."  The  people  would  have  been 
much  more  gratified  at  seeing  and  identifying  the 
body.  What  mattered  it  to  them  where  the  body 
of  Booth  should  be  buried  ?  They  were  only  anxious 
to  know  that  Booth  was  dead.  This  was  the  gratifi- 
cation supposed  to  be  desired.  The  truth  is,  but  one 
purpose  was  served,  and  that  the  one  desired,  the 
concealment  of  the  body  claimed  to  be  that  of  Booth, 
because  it  was  known  that  it  was  not  the  body  of 
John  Wilkes  Booth.  From  the  true  facts  and  cir- 
cumstances as  they  existed  there  is  neither  sense 
nor  reason  for  any  other  conclusion. 

On  the  22d  day  of  January,  1898,  I  addressed  a 
communication  to  Mr.  H.  M.  Alsen,  editor  of  Har- 
per's Weekly,  giving  a  full  statement  of  the  facts 
in  my  possession  respecting  the  escape  of  Booth, 
asserting  that  in  my  opinion  Booth  had  not  in  fact 

179 


GEN.  DANA  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

been  killed,  as  reported,  at  the  Garrett  home  in  Vir- 
ginia, in  April,  1865,  but  had  made  his  escape,  and  I 
believed  Booth  then  to  be  alive  and  at  large  in  the 
West.  Mr.  Alsen  replied  as  follows : 

"Harper  &  Brothers — Editorial  Booms, 
"  Franklin  Square,  New  York, 

"January  25,  1898. 

"Dear  Sir:  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  January 
22.  *  *  *  Of  the  facts  you  mention  we  have  not 
the  slightest  doubt.  The  rumor  that  John  Wilkes 
Booth  was  still  alive  frequently  reached  Edwin 
Booth,  the  actor.  Yet  it  was  frequently  investi- 
gated, found  false  or  quietly  ignored.  Sincerely 
yours, 

' '  (Signed)  H.  M.  ALSEN,  Editor. ' ' 

And  now  comes  the  climax  in  the  shape  of  a  vol- 
untary letter  from  the  United  States  War  Depart- 
ment, as  follows: 

"War  Department, 
"Office  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General, 

"Washington,  May  13,  1898. 
"F.  L.  Bates,  Memphis,  Term. 

"Dear  Sir:  I  am  collecting  matter  for  a  detailed 
account  of  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln  by 
J.  Wilkes  Booth,  and  seeing  your  letter  to  this  de- 
partment concerning  the  evidence  you  therein  state 

180 


GEN.    DANA    IDENTIFIES    BOOTH. 

you  possess,  that  Booth  was  not  captured  and  killed 
by  the  Federal  troops,  I  have  been  prompted  to 
write  you  in  my  private  capacity  as  a  citizen,  and 
not  as  an  employe  of  the  War  Department,  and  in- 
quire if  you  will  kindly  give  me  for  publication,  if 
found  available,  such  information  on  the  subject  as 
you  may  possess. 

"While  I  have  not  what  may  be  styled  direct  or 
positive  evidence  that  the  man  killed  was  Booth,  I 
have  such  circumstantial  evidence  as  would  seem 
to  prove  the  fact  beyond  doubt.  Still,  I  would  be 
glad  to  examine  any  evidence  to  the  contrary. 

"Hoping  to  hear  from  you  soon,  I  am,  very  re- 
spectfully, your  obedient  servant, 

"  (Signed)  JOHN  P.  SIMONTON." 

.  The  voluntary  statement  of  Mr.  Simonton  being 
true,  establishes  beyond  question  the  fact  that  the 
government  has  no  positive  or  direct  proof  of  tEe 
capture  and  killing  of  Booth.  Then  this  explains 
why  the  government  did  not  expose  the  supposed 
body  of  Booth.  Because  they  had  no  conclusive 
proof  of  its  identity  they  kept  it  concealed  from  the 
public,  for  the  good  effect  the  deception  would  have 

181 


GEN.    DANA    IDENTIFIES    BOOTH. 

on  the  public,  that  they  might  lull  to  rest  the  out- 
raged and  restless  public  sentiment  demanding  ven- 
geance. 

Gen.  Wallace  refers  to  the  monument  to  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  in  Green  Mount  Cemetery,  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  standing  in  the  family  lot,  the  last  resting 
place  of  the  members  of  the  Booth  family  who  have 
joined  the  pilgrims  in  the  shadowed  valley  of  the 
spirit  land  beyond  that  river,  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween the  dwelling  of  the  living  and  the  home  of  the 
dead.  It  is  worthy  to  mention  in  this  connection  that 
on  this  monument  is  chiseled  only  the  name 
"Booth,"  and  that  on  the  base,  the  white  shaft 
stands  barren  of  name  or  epitaph  to  John  Wilkes 
Booth.  Why  is  this?  Does  St.  Helen's  story  explain? 
When  the  keeper  of  the  Booth  lot  asked  Edwin 
Booth  if  the  name  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  with  an 
epitaph  to  him,  should  be  placed  on  the  monument, 
his  reply  was,  "Let  it  remain  blank."  By  the  light 
of  subsequent  investigation  we  understand  Edwin 
Booth 's  reason  for  this  order.  It  was  in  fact  not  the 
monument  of  the  dead  John  Wilkes  Booth,  as  the 
keeper  and  the  uninformed  public  believed. 

182 


GEN.    DANA    IDENTIFIES    BOOTH. 

On  one  occasion  a  friend  asked  to  speak  to  Edwin 
Booth  respecting  the  subject  of  John  Wilkes  Booth's 
crime,  when  Edwin  Booth  interrupted  him  by  say- 
ing, "Yes,  that  Washington  affair  was  a  horrible 
crime,  but  then  John  Wilkes  is  my  brother."  He 
uttered  this  with  great  emotion  and  ended  the  sub- 
ject. 

Notice  Edwin's  unwitting  reply,  "John  Wilkes  is 
my  brother,"  not  "John  Wilkes  was  my  brother." 

To  strengthen  the  theory  that  Booth  had  been  cap- 
tured and  killed  there  was  a  publication  in  the  Balti- 
more Sun  of  January  18,  1903,  under  the  head  lines : 

"WHERE  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH  LIES." 

(Published  thirty-eight  years  after  the  assasina- 
tion  of  the  President.) 

"It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  Edwin  Booth  never 
desisted  from  his  potent  and  quiet  endeavor  to  re- 
cover the  body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  until  he  deliv- 
ered it  to  his  mother  in  Maryland.  Of  John  Wilkes 
Booth's  burial  there  can  be  no  doubt.  John  T.  Ford, 
the  Baltimore  theatrical  manager,  and  Charles  B. 
Bishop,  the  comedian,  both  told  me  that  they  wit- 
nessed for  Edwin  Booth  the  exhuming  of  the  body." 

183 


GEN.    DANA   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

(Then  we  ask  where  from?  Out  of  the  obliterated 
grave  described  by  Gen.  Dana ;  from  under  the  brick 
pavement  in  the  room  in  the  old  Penitentiary  Build- 
ing described  by  Wallace,  or  from  the  waters  of  the 
Potomac  river,  as  described  by  Col.  "Wood  and 
Capt.  Hillard?)  "And  that  the  same  was  identi- 
fied and  sent  to  his  mother.  This  should  set  at  rest 
the  rumors  that  Booth  lives." 

Of  the  exhuming  of  this  body  and  its  identifica- 
tion by  John  T.  Ford  and  Charles  B.  Bishop,  as  pub- 
lished by  the  Baltimore  Sun,  is  incomplete  as  an  his- 
torical fact,  for  the  reason  that  there  were  others 
present  at  the  same  time  with  Mr.  Ford  and  Mr. 
Bishop,  who  have  likewise  spoken  of  the  manner  of 
the  identification  of  this  body  as  that  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth,  which  was  shipped  to  Baltimore  and  claimed 
by  some  to  be  the  body  of  John  Wilkes  Bootk. 
Among  the  others  present  was  Miss  Blanche  Chap- 
man, leading  lady  in  the  play,  "Why  Smith  Left 
Home"  company,  and  in  referring  to  the  story  pub- 
lished in  the  Baltimore  Sun,  she  says : 

"One  morning  in  1872,  just  after  rehearsal,  my 
godfather,  John  T.  Ford,  manager  of  the  theater, 

184 


GEN.    DANA    IDENTIFIES    BOOTH. 

i 

came  to  me  and  in  a  strangely  serious  voice  for  him 
to  assume  when  addressing  me,  said:  'Blanche, 
keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open,  and  your  mouth  shut, 
and  follow  me.'  I  followed  him  out  through  the 
back  of  the  theater  and  across  the  street  to  Mr. 
Weaver's  undertaking  establishment,  which  was  just 
opposite.  He  led  the  way  to  a  sort  of  private  room 
at  the  back  of  the  shop,  furtherest  from  the  street, 
and  upon  entering  I  saw  a  number  of  people  seated 
or  standing  around  a  rough,  earth-stained  box,  which 
contained  something  that  was  wrapped  in  a  muddy 
army  blanket.  Some  of  the  people  present  I  knew 
at  the  time,  but  there  were  some  I  did  not  know. 
Of  course,  I  afterward  learned  their  names,  and  the 
company  was  made  up  as  follows:  John  T.  Ford, 
my  godfather  and  manager  of  the  theater;  Charles 
B.  Bishop,  the  comedian;  Mrs.  Booth,  widow  of  the 
elder  Booth  and  mother  of  Edwin  Booth,  Junius 
Brutus  Booth,  and  a  still  younger  brother,  whose 
name  I  did  not  know;  Mr.  Weaver,  the  undertaker, 
my  little  sister  and  myself. 

"It  was  not  long  before  I  began  to  realize  what 
the  solemn  little  conclave  meant.  The  muddy  brown 
army  blanket  was  partly  removed  from  the  object 

185 


GEN.    DANA   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

inside  of  it  with  a  decorous  solemnity  that  I  could 
not  misunderstand.  Mr.  Bishop  approached  the  box, 
and  turning  to  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  said  in  a  low 
tone :  'You  are  sure  about  that  being  the  only  tooth 
in  his  head  that  had  been  filled?'  'Yes.' 

"Mr.  Bishop  then  gently  pressed  down  the  lower 
jaw  of  the  body  in  the  box  and  with  his  thumb  and 
forefinger  withdrew  the  tooth  indicated.  It  had 
been  filled  with  gold,  and  the  peculiar  form  of  the 
filling  was  at  once  recognized  by  Junius  Brutus 
Booth.  Mr.  Bishop  then  carefully  drew  off  one  of 
the  long  riding  boots,  which  were  still  on  the  feet 
and  limbs  of  the  body,  which  had  evidently  lain  in 
the  earth  for  years,  and  as  he.  did  so  the  foot  and 
lower  portion  of  the  limb  remained  in  the  boot.  An 
examination  was  then  made,  and  it  was  plainly  seen 
that  the  ankle  had  been  fractured.  By  this  time,  of 
course,  I  realized  from  what  I  saw  and  heard  that 
the  remains  in  the  box  were  those  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth,  returned  to  the  family  by  the  government," 

It  will  be  remembered  that  President  Lincoln  was 
assassinated  in  the  Ford  Theater,  at  Washington, 
D.  0.,  a  place  owned  by  this  same  John  T.  Ford,  or 

186 


GEN.   DANA   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

run  by  him;  that  Ford  and  Bishop  were  warm  per- 
sonal friends  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and  the  others 
were  friends  of  the  Booth  family,  who  of  all  people 
were  anxious  that  the  government  officials  and  the 
American  people  at  large  should  believe  that  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  their  relative  and  friend,  had  been 
killed.  For  this  belief  meant  absolute  protection  for 
the  living  John  Wilkes  Booth  at  Glenrose  Mills,  Tex., 
known  as  John  St.  Helen. 

Suppose  these  people  had  failed  to  recognize  and 
had  announced  that  the  body  shown  was  not  that  of 
xohn  Wilkes  Booth.  The  government  would  have 
oeen  up  in  arms,  figuratively  speaking,  and  the 
people  of  America  frenzied  with  indignation  over  the 
deception  practiced  upon  them,  would  have  de- 
manded punishment  and  justice  for  the  deceivers. 

There  is  no  question  that  there  was  a  body  ex- 
humed, or  otherwise  obtained,  at  Washington,  as 
stated  in  the  Sun's  publication,  and  ac  disclosed  in 
the  statements  of  Ford,  Bishop  and  Miss  Chapman. 
But  the  examination  of  this  body  discloses  the  fact 
that  it  was  not  the  body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth.  The 
government  could  not  afford  to  have  been  caught 

187 


GEN.    DANA    IDENTIFIES    BOOTH. 

red-handed  in  the  act  of  attempting  to  palm  off  a 
spurious  body  on  the  friends  and  relatives  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth.  Therefore  the  body  was  kept  for 
seven  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  it  was  identi- 
fied by  a  gold-filled  tooth  and  a  limb  that  came  off 
in  a  boot  which  had  been  left  at  the  home  of  Dr. 
Mudd  seven  years  before. 

It  is  a  physical  fact  that  Dr.  Mudd  cut  one  of  the 
riding  boots  from  the  injured  limb  of  Booth  on  the 
morning  of  April  15,  1865,  the  limb  at  that  time  be- 
ing so  swollen  and  painful  as  to  render  it  impossible 
for  Booth  to  longer  endure  the  suffering  it  caused, 
and  from  that  time  to  the  date  of  his  supposed  cap- 
ture and  burial  Booth  had  on  but  one  riding  boot. 
And  at  the  time  this  supposed  identification  was 
being  made  in  Baltimore,  as  described  by  Miss  Chap- 
man, the  very  boot  said  to  have  been  drawn  off, 
carrying  with  it  the  wounded  foot  and  leg,  was  at 
that  self-same  time  in  the  archives  of  the  govern- 
ment at  Washington,  where  it  was  placed  after  be- 
ing removed  from  the  home  of  Dr.  Mudd.  So  that 
the  identification  story  published  in  the  Baltimore 
Sun,  the  same  as  described  by  Blanche  Chapman, 

188 


THE  HOME  OF  DR.  MUDD  AND  THE  RIDING  BOOT 
OF  BOOTH. 

Which  Was  Taken  Oft  the  Injured  Limb  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth  by  Dr.  Mudd  on  the  Morning  of  the  15th  of  April, 
1865,  Where  It  Was  Afterward  Recovered  by  the  Federal 
Troops. 


GEN.    DANA    IDENTIFIES    BOOTH. 

must  fall  flat,  for  the  reason  that  the  very  means  of 
identification  accepted  as  physical  facts  proving  the 
identity  of  the  exhumed  body  to  be  that  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  actually  prove  it  to  have  been  the 
body  of  some  one  else  who  had  on  two  boots. 

In  this  connection  I  reproduce  what  Mr.  Moxly 
says  in  a  published  interview: 

"Mr.  Basil  Moxly,  veteran  doorkeeper  at  John  T. 
Ford's  Opera  House,  after  a  silence  of  years,  in- 
forms the  world  that  the  body  buried  in  Green 
Mount  Cemetery,  Baltimore,  was  not  that  of  the  as- 
sassin, John  Wilkes  Booth,  but  that  of  another  man, 
forwarded  to  Baltimore  by  the  government  at  the 
solicitation  of  the  Booth  family  and  their  friends. 

"Mr.  Moxly  is  the  sole  survivor  of  the  men  who 
acted  as  pall-bearers  at  what  he  now  terms  a  'mock 
funeral,'  and  he  has  deemed  the  time  ripe  to  tell 
the  facts  in  this  strange  disclosure. 

"  'I  knew  Booth  well,'  said  Mr.  Moxly,  'and  I 
conversed  with  him  only  a  short  time  before  the  af- 
fair in.  Washington.  I  am  the  only  one  of  the  pall- 
bearers left.  The  man  who  was  brought  to  Balti- 
more did  not  resemble  Booth;  he  had  brown  hair, 

189 


GEN,   DANA   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

while  Booth's  was  jet  black;  there  was  also  a  dif- 
ference in  their  general  appearance.' ' 
i  The  statement  of  Mr.  Moxly  is  positive  and  con- 
clusive that  the  body  buried  at  Baltimore  was  not 
that  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and  the  question,  "Was 
John  Wilkes  Booth  killed?"  again  arises,  and  we 
revert  back  to  the  evidence  held  by  the  government, 
where  we  find  the  circumstance  of  finding  Booth's 
letters,  pictures,  check,  etc.,  on  the  body  of  the  man 
killed,  which  John  St.  Helen,  the  mysterious  cultured 
gentleman  of  leisure  living  at  the  very  edge  of  civili- 
zation, explains  were  in  the  possession  of  the  dark- 
haired,  swarthy  complexioned  man,  not  quite  so 
tall  or  large  as  himself,  by  the  name  of  Ruddy  or 
Roby,  his  better  recollection  being  that  it  was  Ruddy 
or  a  name  sounding  the  most  like  the  word 
"Ruddy." 

That  Ruddy  or  Roby  was  the  man  killed  there  can 
no  longer  be  a  well-founded  doubt,  and  I  leave  the 
submitted  facts  for  reflection  while  taking  up  the 
most  interesting  part  of  Booth's  life  in  the  West, 
the  home  of  the  Indian,  the  Mexican  and  the  cow- 
boy. 

190 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL 

Baltimore  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  chief 
stage  upon  which  Booth  played  his  romantic  part 
as  an  actor,  where  the  footlights  separated  him  from 
the  people,  and  from  that  city  of  beautiful  and  cul- 
tured women  and  honorable  and  intellectual  men 
John  Wilkes  Booth  drank  the  inspiration  that  made 
him  famous  as  an  actor,  and  that  made  him  ever  the 
courteous  and  cultured  gentleman  during  his  wan- 
dering life  on  the  Western  plains.  For  Baltimore 
and  her  people  he  carried  and  cherished  in  his  mem- 
ory, love  and  gratitude  and  honor  to  the  hour  he 
commanded  his  heart  "Be  still." 

He  had  often  said  to  me:  "In  the  morning  of  my 
life  the  star  of  my  fate  rose  from  without  the  firma- 
ment of  Baltimore 's  elite,  and  I  love  and  honor  her. ' ' 

How  vividly  do  I  recall  his  proud  and  haughty, 
yea,  his  beautiful  and  defiant  face,  when  he  spoke 
of  Baltimore,  the  home  of  his  youth  and  early  man- 

191 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

hood,  and  the  Baltimorean  as  his  friend.  And  you 
of  Baltimore  who  remember  him  in  his  strength  and 
honor,  this  greeting  I  send  as  a  message  from  him, 
from  his  home  nearer  the  gateway  of  the  Day,  where 
twillight  greets  the  evening  star,  where  darkness 
makes  of  ours  a  dreamland  and  of  the  Orient  a  land 
of  day:  "John  Wilkes  Booth's  fondest  memories 
are  of  thee  and  of  his  friends  in  Baltimore." 

The  life  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  is,  however,  cer- 
tainly no  less,  and  perhaps  far  more  interesting,  in 
the  part  he  played  on  the  Western  plains,  on  the 
stage  by  Nature  set,  in  which  he  had  before  him  the 
wild  man  and  the  semi-civilized  people  of  this  wild 
section  as  an  appreciative  audience.  And  while 
there  are  doubtless  many  residents  of  the  Monu- 
mental City  who  treasure  up  reminiscences  of 
Booth's  bright  youth  and  splendid,  misguided  gen- 
ius, there  live  today  thousands  of  people  on  the 
plains  who  cherish  his  memory  and  love  his  per- 
sonality without  a  knowledge  of  his  true  name,  his 
crime  or  his  wasted  genius,  and  would,  like  the 
cowboy,  build  a  monument  to  his  memory. 

192 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

Of  John  Wilkes  Booth  his  brother,  Edwin,  himself 
a  genius  and  a  judge,  said:  "He  has  the  genius 
of  my  father,  and  is  more  gifted  than  I,"  while  Joe 
Jefferson,  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  of  all  ages,  with 
whom  the  world  laughed  or  wept  at  his  will,  saw 
John  Wilkes  Booth  in  the  last  years  before  his  in- 
sane deed  at  Washington  and  told  me  that  he  never 
saw  so  great  a  performance  as  his  impersonation 
of  "Richard  III."  In  "Richard  III. "  he  played  un- 
der the  name  of  John  Wilkes,  and  never  used  his 
surname  until  he  played  Horatio  to  Edwin  Booth's 
Hamlet.  When  for  the  first  time  his  name  was 
given  on  the  bills  as  John  Wilkes  Booth,  at  the  close 
of  the  play,  as  usual,  the  call  came  for  Edwin 
Booth,  and  as  the  curtain  went  up  Edwin  Booth 
came  down  the  stage  leading  his  brother,  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  by  the  arm  and,  pointing  to  him,  said : 

' '  I  think  he  has  done  well,  don 't  you  ? ' ' 

Then  came  from  the  audience  cries  of  "Yes!" 
"Yes!"  and  tumultuous  applause. 

Mr.  Jefferson  said:  "John  Wilkes  Booth  was  a 
little  taller  than  his  brother  Edwin,  possessed  his  in- 
tellectual and  beautiful  eyes,  with  great  symmetry 

193 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

of  features,  and  an  especially  fine  forehead  and 
curly,  black  hair." 

"He  was  as  handsome  as  a  Greek  god,"  says  Mr. 
Edwin  M.  Delfind.  Continuing  further,  he  said: 
"It  is  saying  a  good  deal,  but  he  was  a  much  hand- 
somer man  than  his  brother  Edwin.  He  possessed  a 
voice  much  like  his  brother's — melodious,  sweet,  full 
and  strong,  and  was  a  consummate  elocutionist.  He 
was  a  great  admirer  of  those  Greek  and  Roman  char- 
acters that  are  deemed  exponents  of  popular  lib- 
erty and  heroic  patriotism.  In  these  he  went  al- 
most to  radicalism.  Of  the  Brutuses  he  was  an  es- 
pecial devotee,  and  I  shall  never  forget  his  recita- 
tion of  Brutus'  speech  in  "Julius  Caesar,"  of  his  de- 
fiance in  his  share  of  the  asssassination,  and  with 
what  force  he  rolled  out  those  lines: 

"  'My  ancestors  did  from  the  streets  of  Rome  the 
tarquin  drive. ' 

"He  said  that  of  all  Shakespeare's  characters,  'I 
like  Brutus  the  best,  excepting  only  Lear.'  There  is 
no  doubt  but  that  the  study  of  these  characters  and 
meditation  upon  their  deeds  had  much  to  do  with 
shaping  that  mental  condition  which  led  to  the 
murder  of  President  Lincoln. 

194 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

"I  was  talking  with  Edwin  Booth  at  the  Players 
one  day  and  remarked  to  him:  'Mr.  Booth,  there  is 
an  incident  in  the  nation's  history  to  which  I  would 
like  to  allude. '  He  promptly  comprehended,  and  re- 
plied with  flashing  eyes  and  compressed  lips,  'You 
mean  that  affair  at  Washington.  I  could  not  ap- 
prove of  what  John  Wilkes  did,  and  would  rather 
not  discuss  it.  He  is  my  brother.' 

"As  to  the  dramatic  genius  of  John  Wilkes  Booth, 
I  can  speak  with  professional  authority.  It  was  of 
the  highest  order,  and  had  he  continued  on  the  stage 
his  fame  and  success  would  have  equaled  that  of  Ms 
father.  The  father  I  never  saw,  but  nearly  every 
great  actor  from  Edwin  Forrest  down  to  the  present 
day  I  have  seen  and  heard,  and  with  the  exception 
of  Forrest  and  that  brilliant,  erratic  genius,  Edwin 
Adams,  John  Wilkes  Booth's  genius  excelled  them 
all. 

"As  I  have  said,  he  was  a  great  admirer  of  Lear. 
I  don't  think  his  genius  would  ever  have  made  his 
rendering  of  the  part  equal  to  Forrest.  Lear  and 
Booth  genius  were  not  quite  in  harmony.  He  did 
not  have  the  large  physical  proportions  essential  to 

195 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

the  performance  of  Shakespeare's  sublimest  charac- 
ters. Edwin  Forrest  did,  and  was  the  only  Lear  the 
stage  has  ever  seen.  But  Booth  was  unequalled  as 
Richard  III.,  and  would  have  made  the  greatest 
Hamlet,  Cassius,  Othello,  Macbeth,  Cornelius  and 
Charles  Moore,  as  well  as  other  similar  parts. 

"In  plays  like  'The  Taming  of  the  Shrew'  he  had 
achieved  distinction.  He  acted  in  such  parts  with 
a  brilliant  dash  and  sweep  that  were  irresistible  to 
women.  He  was  an  imperious  fascinator  and 
women  idolized  him. 

"Once  in  Philadelphia,  when  going  over  with  Mr. 
Forrest  his  1623d  edition  of  Shakespeare,  I  expressed 
to  him  my  admiration  of  his  Lear.  Forrest  flushed 
and  said :  '  Sir,  I  act  Hamlet,  but  I  am  Lear. '  It  is 
lamentable  that  through  the  insanity  which  led  to 
the  dark  deed  in  Washington  the  genius  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth  was  lost  to  the  American  stage.  His 
star  went  out  in  the  darkest  night  through  a  deed 
that  cost  the  South  its  best  friend,  Abraham  Lin- 
coln." 

Clara  Morris,  the  emotional  actress,  now  nearing 
the  last  scenes  in  the  playhouse  of  Time,  says  of 

196 


CLARA   MORRIS. 
Aa  Sister  Genevieve  in  "The  Two  Orphans." 


JOSEPH    JEFFERSON. 

As    He    Appeared    at    the    Interview    With    Mr.    Bates    at    the 
Gayoso    -Hotel,     Memphis,     Tennessee. 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL, 

John  Wilkes  Booth:  "In  glancing  back  over  two 
crowded  and  busy  seasons  one  figure  stands  out  with 
clearness  and  beauty.  In  this  case,  so  far  as  my 
personal  knowledge  goes,  there  is  nothing  deroga- 
tory to  dignity  or  manhood  in  being  called  'beauti- 
ful, '  for  he  was  that  bud  of  splendid  promise  blasted 
to  the  core  before  its  full  triumphant  blooming, 
known  to  the  world  as  a  madman  and  an  assassin, 
but  to  the  profession  as  'that  unhappy  boy,  John 
Wilkes  Booth. '  He  was  so  young,  so  bright,  so  kind. 

"I  could  not  have  known  him  well?  Of  course, 
too,  there  are  two  or  three  different  people  in  every 
man's  skin.  Yet,  when  we  remember  that  stars  are 
not  generally  in  the  habit  of  showing  their  brightest, 
their  best  side,  to  the  company  at  rehearsals,  we  can 
not  help  feeling  both  respect  and  liking  for  the  one 
who  does. 

"There  are  not  many  men  who  can  receive  a  gash 
over  the  eye  in  the  scene  at  night  without  at  least  a 
momentary  outburst  of  temper,  but  when  the  com- 
bat between  Richard  and  Richmond  was  being  re- 
hearsed, John  Wilkes  Booth  had  again  and  again 
urged  McCullom — that  six-foot  tall  and  handsome 

197 


A  BALTIMOIIEAN  STILL. 

man,  who  entrusted  me  with  the  care  of  his  watch 
during  such  encounters,  'To  come  on  hard,  come  on 
hot,  old  fellow !  Harder,  faster ! '  that  he  would  take 
the  chances  of  a  blow  if  only  they  could  make  a  hot 
fight  of  it.  Mr.  McCullom,  who  was  a  cold  man  at 
night,  became  nervous  in  his  efforts  to  act  like  a 
fiery  one.  He  forgot  that  he  had  struck  the  full 
number  of  hard  blows,  and  when  Booth  was  expect- 
ing a  thrust,  McCullom,  wielding  his  sword  with  both 
hands,  brought  it  down  with  awful  force  fair  across 
Booth's  forehead.  A  cry  of  horror  rose,  for  in  one 
moment  his  face  was  marked  in  blood,  one  eyebrow 
was  clearly  cut  through.  Then  came  simultaneously 
one  deep  groan  from  Richard  (Booth)  and  an 
exclamation  of  'Oh!  Good  God!  Good  God!'  from 
Richmond  (McCullom),  who  stood  trembling  like  a 
leaf  and  staring  at  his  work.  Booth,  flinging  tHe 
blood  from  his  eyes  with  his  left  hand,  said  as  gently 
as  a  man  could  speak:  'That  is  all  right.  That  ia 
all  right,  old  man.  Never  mind  me.  Only  come  on 
hard,  for  God's  sake,  and  save  the  fight!'  which  he 
resumed  at  once.  And  though  he  was  perceptibly 
weakened  it  required  the  sharp  order  of  Mr.  Ellsler 

198 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

to  ring  the  first  curtain  bell  to  force  him  to  bring  the 
fight  to  a  close,  a  single  blow  shorter  than  usual. 
And  there  was  a  running  to  and  fro  with  ice  and 
vinegar,  and  raw  steak,  and  raw  oysters,  and  when 
the  doctor  had  placed  a  few  stitches  where  they 
were  most  required  Booth  laughingly  declared  that 
there  was  provisions  enough  in  the  room  to  start  a 
restaurant. 

"McCullom  came  to  try  to  apologize,  to  explain, 
but  Booth  would  have  none  of  it.  He  held  out  his 
hand,  saying,  'Why,  old  fellow,  you  look  as  if  you 
had  lost  the  blood — don't  worry — now,  if  my  eye 
had  gone,  that  would  have  been  bad.'  And  so,  with 
light  words  he  turned  to  set  the  unfortunate  man  at 
ease,  and  though  he  must  have  suffered  much  morti- 
fication as  well  as  pain  from  the  eye,  he  never  made 
a  sign  showing  it. 

"John  Wilkes  Booth,  like  his  next  elder  brother, 
was  rather  lacking  in  height,  but  his  head  and  throat 
and  the  manner  of  their  rising  from  his  shoulders 
were  truly  beautiful.  His  coloring  was  unusual,  the 
ivory  pallor  of  his  skin,  the  inky  blackness  of  his 
dusky,  thick,  curly  hair,  the  heavy  lids  of  his  glow- 

199 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

ing  eyes,  were  all  Oriental,  and  they  gave  a  touch  of 
mystery  to  his  face  when  it  fell  into  gravity,  but 
there  was  generally  a  flash  of  white  teeth  behind  his 
black,  silky  mustache. 

"Now,  it  is  scarcely  exaggerating  to  say  that  the 
fair  sex  were  in  love  with  John  Wilkes  Booth,  or 
John  Booth,  as  he  was  called,  the  name  Wilkes  being 
apparently  unknown  to  his  family  and  close  friends. 
I  played  with  John  "Wilkes,  to  my  great  joy,  playing 
'Player  Queen,'  and  in  'The  Marble  Heart,'  I  was 
one  of  the  group  of  three  statues  in  the  first  act, 
then  a  girl  in  my  teens. 

"With  all  my  admiration  for  the  person  and  the 
genius  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  his  crime  I  can  not 
condone.  The  killing  of  that  homely,  tender-hearted 
father,  Abraham  Lincoln,  a  rare  combination  of 
courage,  justice  and  humanity,  whose  death  at  the 
hands  of  an  actor  will  be  a  grief  of  horror  and  shame 
to  the  profession  forever.  And  yet  I  cannot  believe 
that  John  Wilkes  Booth  was  the  leader  of  a  band 
of  bloody  conspirators. 

"Who  shall  draw  the  line  and  say,  'Here  genius 
ends  and  madness  begins  ? '  There  was  that  touch  of 

200 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

strangeness,  in  Edwin  it  was  a  profound  melan- 
choly; in  John  it  was  an  exaggeration  of  spirit, 
almost  a  madness.  There  was  the  natural  vanity  of 
the  actor,  too,  who  craves  a  dramatic  selection  in 
real  life.  There  was  also  his  passionate  love  and 
sympathy  for  the  South,  which  was  easier  to  be 
played  on  than  a  pipe. 

"Undoubtedly  he  conspired  to  kidnap  the  Presi- 
dent; that  would  appeal  to  him.  But  after  that  I 
truly  believe  he  was  a  tool;  certainly  he  was  no 
leader.  Those  who  led  him  knew  his  courage,  his 
belief  in  fate,  his  loyalty  to  his  friends,  and  because 
they  knew  these  things  he  drew  the  lot,  as  it  was 
meant  he  should  from  the  first.  Then,  half  mad,  he 
accepted  the  part  fate  cast  him  for  and  committed 
the  murderous  crime. 

'God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform. ' 

"  'And  God  shutteth  not  up  His  mercies  forever  in 
displeasure.'  We  can  only  shiver  and  turn  our 
thoughts  away  from  the  bright  light  that  went  out 
in  such  utter  darkness.  Poor,  guilty,  unhappy  John 
Wilkes  Booth!" 

201 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

These  extensive  quotations  are  made  from  the  two 
veterans  of  the  stage,  Clarr,  Morris  and  Edwin  M. 
Delfind,  the  personal  friends  of  John  Wilkes  Booth, 
whose  long  acquaintance  and  association  with  him 
enabled  them  to  write  these  articles,  showing  the 
characteristics,  personal  appearance  and  ability  or 
John  "Wilkes  Booth,  whom  they  so  perfectly  describe. 
And  yet  these  descriptions,  so  true  in  detail,  ao  per- 
fectly describe  John  St.  Helen,  the  mysterious  gen- 
tleman of  the  plains,  who  so  persistently  maintained 
to  me  that  he  was  John  Wilkes  Booth,  of  whom  they 
had  never  heard,  and  that  too,  thirty-eight  years 
after  they  are  presumed  to  know  that  John  Wilkes 
Booth  is  dead.  This  is  wonderful  and  unanswer- 
able proof  that  the  John  St.  Helen  whom  1.  knew  was 
actually  the  John  Wilkes  Booth  whom  they  knew 
and  describe,  as  he  claimed  to  be. 

In  this  connection  it  is  of  interest  to  know  some- 
thing more  of  John  Wilkes  Booth's  father,  the  fa- 
mous actor,  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  Sr.,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  from  England,  and  followed  the 
profession  in  this  country  with  such  success  that  for 
all  time  links  the  name  of  Booth  with  the  American 
stage. 

202 


JOHN    WILKES    BOOTH,    AGED    38. 

The   Picture   Taken   at    Glenrose    Mills,    Texas,    on    the   Bosque 
River.       (A    reproduction    from    the    tin-type.) 


JUNIUS    BRUTUS    BOOTH,     THE     FIRST. 

Father  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,   as   Sir  Giles  Overreach,   Show- 
ing the  Famous   Actor  in  One  of  His  Favorite  Characters. 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

Booth,  the  elder,  acted  because  he  loved  to  act,  and 
was  farmer  because  he  loved  to  farm;  which  of  the 
two  he  liked  best  seemed  always  a  matter  of  doubt 
to  himself  and  naturally  became  so  with  others.  He 
was  eminently  successful  in  both  farming  and  acting, 
his  great  reputation  as  an  actor  being  made  after 
he  came  to  America,  where  he  stood  pre-eminently 
at  the  head  of  his  profession.  He  was  a  well-read 
man,  with  a  remarkable  talent  for  showing  it.  Per- 
sonally he  was  dark,  had  strong  eyes,  a  fine  mouth 
and  a  positive  manner.  He  was  a  kindly  man  and 
lived  up  to  the  customs  of  his  time  and  profession, 
maintaining  all  conventional  distinctions.  Mr. 
Booth's  Baltimore  residence  was  in  Exeter  street, 
and  his  farm  was  in  Belair,  about  fourteen  miles 
from  Baltimore.  His  professional  habits  were  not 
unlike  those  of  the  late  Joseph  Jefferson ;  he  played 
when  he  felt  like  it,  and  when  he  was  not  acting  he 
was  farming,  while  he  farmed  throughout  all  his 
engagements  in  the  city  of  Baltimore. 
f'/Be  it  said  to  the  lasting  credit  of  Mr.  Booth  that 
his  opinion  of  himself  was  much  inferior  to  that 
entertained  of  him  by  others,  who  thought  him  pre- 
203 


A  BALTIMOREAN  STILL. 

eminently  the  greatest  actor  of  his  time,  and  he  has 
not  been  equalled  by  any  one  since  his  day. 

The  likeness  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  to  his  father 
is  striking  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven.  But  note 
the  more  striking  resemblance  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 
to  his  father  where  he  reaches  the  age  of  thirty- 
eight  years.  This  picture  is  a  reproduction  of  the 
little  tintype  picture  taken  of  John  St.  Helen  (John 
Wilkes  Booth)  twelve  years  after  the  assassination 
of  President  Lincoln  and  Booth's  reported  capture 
and  death. 


204 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

INFORMING  THE  WAR  DEPARTMENT 
THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

Being  convinced  that  John  St.  Helen  was  actually 
John  Wilkes  Booth,  I  determined  to  locate  him,  and 
with  this  purpose  in  view  I  addressed  a  letter  to  a 
personal  friend,  a  lawyer,  at  Grandberry,  Texas,  re- 
ceiving this  reply : 

"Grandberry,  Texas,  September  21st,  1898. 
"N.  L.  Cooper  &  Sons,  Attorneys  at  Law. 
F.  L.  Bates:— 

"Dear  Sir  and  Friend— I  have  made  many  in- 
quiries about  the  latter  end  of  St.  Helen,  if  he 
should  have  crossed  the  Jordan,  but  can  make  but 
little  discovery.  L.  B.  McClannahan,  who  was  in 
partnership  with  A.  P.  Gordon,  in  the  whiskey  busi- 
ness, on  the  south  side  of  the  square,  now  lives  at 
Bluffdale,  eighteen  miles  southwest  from  here,  on  the 
railroad  in  Erath  county,  may  know  something  of 
St.  Helen;  also  William  Farmwalt,  whose  address  is 
Maryfa,  Presideo  county,  Texas,  and  G.  W.  Calvin, 
Kerrville,  Texas. 

205 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT   'iHAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

"It  might  be  that  John  H.  Traylor,  formerly  of 
this  place,  whom  you  knew,  and  now  mayor  of  Dal- 
las, Texas,  might  known  something  of  his  where- 
abouts. I  will  continue  to  inquire  of  any  one  whom 
I  shall  meet  that  might  know  of  him.  Capt.  J.  J. 
Farr,  whom  you  remember,  now  lives  at  Glenrose 
Mills,  Texas,  twenty  miles  south  of  this  place,  and 
may  know  something  of  him.  I  will  see  him  soon 
and  will  then  make  inquiry. 

"Many  thanks  for  your  appreciation  of  myself  and 
family.  With  high  regards  for  you  and  yours,  I  am 
ever  your  friend, 

(Signed)       "N.  L.  COOPER." 

The  result  of  this  investigation  located  St.  Helen 
at  Leadville,  Colorado,  in  October,  1879.  From  Lead- 
ville  I  traced  him  to  Fresno,  California,  where  he 
seems  merely  to  have  passed  through  the  town. 

In  the  meantime  I  also  sought  to  investigate  the 
men  who  had  aided  Booth  to  escape  and  to  locate, 
as  far  as  possible,  their  identity.  With  this  end  in 
view  I  addressed  a  letter  to  a  law  firm  in  Freder- 
icksburg,  Virginia,  which  elicited  the  following  re- 

piy: 

206 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

"Law  Office  of 

"John  L.  Marye  and  St.  George  R.  Fitzhugh. 
"Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  October  5th,  1898. 
"F.  L.  Bates,  Memphis,  Tenn. 

"Dear  Sir — Your  favor  received.  Major  or  Lieu- 
tenant M.  B.  Ruggles  is  with  Arnold,  Caeslable  & 
Co.,  New  York  City.  Major  Edward  S.  Ruggles,  the 
brother  of  M.  B.  Ruggles,  is  a  farmer  in  King  George 
county,  Virginia.  Gen.  Daniel  Ruggles,  the  father 
of  the  three  gentlemen,  died  here  about  a  year  ago, 
and  his  widow  is  living  here  now.  Very  truly  yours, 
etc., 

(Signed)      "ST.  GEORGE  R.  FITZHUGH." 

"Alexandria,  Virginia,  ,  1898. 

"Capt.  Jett  was  well  known  and  acquainted  in 
Carlin  county,  Virginia.  He  was  a  near  relative 
of  mine,  with  whom  I  was  on  the  most  intimate  terms. 
He  went  to  Baltimore  a  year  after  the  assassination 
of  President  Lincoln,  engaged  in  the  business  of 
traveling  constantly  in  Virginia,  and  married  the 
daughter  of  a  prominent  physician  of  Baltimore.  No 
one  blamed  him  for  piloting  the  Federal  Cavalry  to 
where  he  had  left  Booth,  or  criticised  him  for  his 

207 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

efforts  to  assist  Booth  in  his  escape.  Sixteen  years 
after  he  settled  in  Baltimore  he  was  attacked  with 
paresis,  and  died  at  the  hospital  of  Williamsburg, 
Virginia,  repsected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

(Signed.)  "JOHN  L.  MARYE." 
Lieut.  A.  R.  Bainbridge,  after  the  close  of  the  war, 
went  to  New  York  City  and  entered  business.  Jett, 
Bainbridge  and  Ruggles  were  the  members  of  Mos- 
by's  Confederate  command  who  met  Booth  and  Har- 
old at  the  Rappahannock  ferry,  and  described  Booth 
as  wearing  at  this  time  a  black  slouch  hat,  well 
pulled  down  on  his  forehead,  the  lame  foot  was  en- 
tirely free  from  covering  except  a  black  sock.  The 
crutch  or  stick  which  he  carried  was  rough  and  un- 
gainly. They  further  say,  speaking  of  the  following 
afternooon:  "After  we  had  crossed  Booth  to  the 
Garrett  farm  we  saw  the  Federal  troops  across  the 
Rappahannock  river,  and  we  (Ruggles  and  Bain- 
bridge) were  pursued  by  them,  when  we  fled  straight 
to  the  Garrett  farm  and  notified  Booth  to  leave,  di- 
recting him  to  go  into  the  wooded  ravine,  which  we 
pointed  out  to  him,  over  and  beyond  the  Garrett 
farm,  for  which  place  he  left  at  once,  carrying  a 

208 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LlVJfiS. 

heavy  stick  in  his  hand  to  support  his  lame  leg." 

Through  inquiry  of  a  person  now  in  Washington 
City,  whose  name  it  would  be  an  abuse  of  confidence 
to  disclose,  I  learned  that  there  was  a  large  family 
of  people  by  the  name  of  Ruddy  living  within  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  Samuel  Cox,  on  the 
Potomac  river,  where  Booth  was  secreted,  so  that  I 
take  it  the  man  killed  at  the  Garrett  farm  was 
"Ruddy"  and  not  "Roby,"  as  several  of  the  men 
of  the  Ruddy  family  answer  the  description  Booth 
gave  of  the  man  who  got  his  letters,  pictures,  check, 
etc. 

The  statements  of  these  gentlemen,  Jett,  Ruggles 
and  Bainbridge,  corroborate  St.  Helen's  story  that 
he  (Booth)  was  met  by  these  gentlemen,  Confeder- 
ate soldiers,  at  the  Rappahannock  ferry.  Could  this 
have  been  an  incident?  Surely  it  was  prearranged. 
These  gentlemen  say:  "We  met  Booth  at  the  fer- 
ry, ' '  but  do  not  say  by  accident,  a  mere  casualty  aad 
seemingly  it  was  by  appointment,  at  a  stated  time; 
they  had  arrived  at  the  ferry  in  advance  of  Booth, 
as  if  to  receive  and  protect  him  on  his  arrival. 

209 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

Neither  Booth  nor  Herold  could  have  gone  to  ar- 
range this  appointment.  Booth  was  lame  and  Her- 
old did  not  know  the  country  in  that  direction,  so 
remained  with  Booth,  who  was  suffering  a  great 
deal.  There  can  be  no  well  founded  doubt  but  that 
Ruddy  went  in  advance  and  made  this  appointment 
as  detailed  to  me  by  St.  Helen  (Booth). 

After  successfully  locating  St.  Helen  (Booth)  at 
Leadville  and  later  at  Fresno,  California,  I  was 
reasonably  sure  he  still  lived  and  could  be  located, 
and  supposing  it  to  be  a  matter  of  interest  to  the 
United  States  government,  I  addressed  the  following 
letter  to  the  War  Department : 

"Law  Office  of  F.  L.  BATES, 
"297  Second  Street, 

"Memphis,  Tenn.,  January  17th,  1898. 
"Secretary  of  War,  Washington,  D.  C. 

"Dear  Sir— Would  it  be  a  matter  of  any  import- 
ance to  develop  the  fact  to  the  War  Department  of 
the  United  States  that  John  Wilkes  Booth,  the  as- 
sassin of  President  Lincoln,  was  not  captured  and 
killed  by  the  Federal  troops,  as  is  supposed? 

210      * 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

"By  accident  I  have  been  placed  in  possession  of 
such  facts  as  are  conclusive  that  John  Wilkes  Booth 
now  lives,  and  have  kept  the  matter  from  publica- 
tion until  I  have  communicated  with  the  War  De- 
partment of  this  government.  Very  truly  yours, 

"F.  L.  BATES." 

In  reply  the  following  endorsements  were  made 
on  this  letter  and  returned  to  me,  viz. : 
First  endorsement: 

"Office  of  the  Secretary  of  War  Department. 

"January  19th,  1898. 

(294)  "Memphis,  Tenn.,  Jan.  17th,  1898. 

"F.  L.  Bates  says  that  he  is  in  possession  of  such 
facts  as  are  conuclusive  that  John  Wilkes  Booth  was 
not  captured  and  killed  by  the  Federal  troops,  and 
asks  if  War  Department  would  consider  the  matter 
of  enough  importance  to  develop  that  fact. 

"JUDGE  ADVOCATE  GENERAL." 
Second  endorsement : 
(3808)  "War  Department, 

"Judge  Advocate  General's  Office, 
"Washington,  D.  C. 

January  21st,  1898, 

211 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

"Respectfully  returned  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 

"This  is  a  request  by  F.  L.  Bates,  of  Memphis, 
Term.,  for  information  as  to  whether  it  would  be  a 
matter  of  importance  to  develop  the  fact  to  the  War 
Department  that  John  Wilkes  Booth  was  not  cap- 
tured and  killed  by  the  Federal  troops. 

"He  says  that  by  accident  he  has  recently  been 
placed  in  possession  of  such  facts  as  are  conclusive. 

"It  is  recommended  that  he  be  informed  that  the 
matter  is  of  no  importance  to  the  War  Department. 
(Signed)     G.  NORMAN  LIEBER, 
"Judge  Advocate  General." 

"Received  back  War  Department  January  22d, 
1898. 

(294)  ' '  Assistant  Secretary. ' ' 

(L.  S.  S.) 

Third  endorsemen 

"War  Department. 

"January  25th,  1898. 

"Respectfully  returned  to  Mr.  F.  L.  Bates,  No.  272 
Second  street,  Memphis,  Term.,  inviting  attention  to 
the  foregoing  report  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General 
of  the  Army. 

212 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

(Signed)     ' ' G.  D.  MICKLE JOHN, 

"Acting  Secretary  of  War." 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  War  Department 
would  take  no  action  upon  the  information  furnished 
of  the  then  living  Booth,  on  January  19th,  January 
21st  and  January  25th,  1898,  notwithstanding  that 
the  officials  of  the  War  Department  were  fully  ad- 
vised that  there  was  no  positive  or  direct  proof  on 
file  with  the  government  as  to  the. death  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  as  is  fully  shown  by  the  letter  of 
John  P.  Simonton,  of  the  War  Department,  ot  date 
May  llth,  1898,  almost  five  months  later,  I  ask  then 
why  should  these  officials  refuse  to  investigate  the 
proof  of  these  facts  when  offered?  It  must,  there- 
fore, follow  that  the  officials,  having  only  circum- 
stantial proof  of  the  death  of  Booth,  did  not  want 
and  refused  to  consider  proof  of  the  fact  that 
Booth  still  lived,  and  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  it 
was  a  matter  of  no  importance  to  the  War  Depart- 
ment to  establish  the  truth  that  Booth  was  not  killed, 
as  supposed,  or  that  he  was  still  alive. 

Does  such  a  declaration,  coming  as  an  official  find- 
ing of  the  War  Department,  assist  in  and  perpet- 

213 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

uate  the  escape  of  Booth,  the  assassin  of  President 
Lincoln*  For  to  officially  find  that  it  was  a  matter 
of  no  importance  to  ascertain  whether  Booth  still 
lived  and  was  at  large  when  proof  was  offered  to 
this  end  was  to  officially  find  that  John  Wilkes 
Booth  should  go  at  large  so  far  as  these  officials  were 
concerned,  notwithstanding  the  great  crime  that 
Booth  had  committed  and  its  national  significance, 
demanding  national  reparation. 

These  officers  will  not  be  heard  to  explain  by  say- 
ing that  they  did  not  regard  the  tender  of  proof  of 
sufficient  importance  to  justify  an  investigation.  For 
if  it  did  not  justify  an  official  investigation  to  learn 
the  truth  of  the  statement  made  it  did  not  justify  a 
finding  that  it  was  a  matter  of  no  importance  to  the 
government  whether  Booth  in  fact  lived  or  was  dead, 
which  is  the  logical  and  unmistakable  finding  of  the 
War  Department,  and  this  finding  by  these  officials 
in  view  of  the  following  order,  which  is  yet  valid  ane 
subsisting,  is  remarkable  to  a  degree  unexplainable : 

214 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

"War  Department, 
"Washington,  D.  C. 

April  20th,  1865. 

"ONE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  DOLLARS 
REWARD. 

"The  murderer  of  our  late  beloved  President, 
Abraham  Lincoln,  is  still  at  large.  Fifty  thousand 
dollars'  reward  will  be  paid  by  this  department  for 
his  apprehension.  In  addition  to  reward  offered  fey 
municipal  authorities  or  State  executives,  liberal  .'re- 
wards will  be  paid  for  any  information  that  shall 
conduce  to  the  arrest  of  either  Booth  or  his  accom- 
plices. 

"All  persons  harboring  or  secreting  the  said  per- 
sons, or  either  of  them,  or  aiding  or  assisting  their 
concealment  or  escape,  will  be  treated  as  accom- 
plices in  the  murder  of  the  President,  and  shall  be 
held  to  trial  before  a  military  commission  and  the 
punishment  of  death. 

"Let  the  stain  of  innocent  blood  be  removed  from 
the  land  by  the  arrest  and  punishment  of  the  mur- 
derers. All  good  citizens  are  exhorted  to  aid  public 
justice  on  this  account;  every  man  should  consider 

215 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

his  own  conscience  charged  with  this  solemn  duty, 
and  rest  neither  night  nor  day  until  it  is  accom- 
plished. 

(Signed)      "EDWIN  M.  STANTON, 
''Secretary  of  War.'* 

The  above  order  constituted  then  and  consti- 
tutes now  the  national  law  of  the  United  States  re- 
specting the  subject  of  which  it  treats,  and  is  today 
and  at  all  times  prior  to  the  present  day,  since  its 
promulgation  in  1865,  a  part  of  the  records  of  the 
War  Department,  the  mandates  and  knowledge  of 
which  is  chargeable  to  the  officials  of  the  War  De- 
partment. 

G.  Norman  Lieber,  Judge  Advocate  General  of  the 
Army,  and  Acting  Secretary  of  War  Micklejohn,  are 
chargeable  with  notice  and  held  responsible  for  its 
execution;  and  if,  in  view  of  this  knowledge,  the 
finding  of  Micklejohn,  Secretary  of  War,  on  the  25th 
day  of  January,  1898,  rescinds  the  order  of  Secretary 
Stanton  of  April  20th,  1865,  it  sets  free,  so  far  as 
the  War  Department  could,  the  assassin  of  President 
Lincoln 

21§ 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

It  stands  as  a  matter  of  history  that  at  about  the 
hour  of  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  April  14th, 
1865,  General  C.  C.  Augur  ordered  the  guards  called 
in  from  the  protection  of  the  life  of  President  Lin- 
coln, then  known  to  be  threatened  and  in  imminent 
danger,  as  stated  by  General  Dana,  and  that  at  ten 
minutes  past  ten  o'clock  that  same  evening  the  Pres- 
ident was  assassinated,  and  at  thirty  minutes  past 
ten,  twenty  minutes  later,  the  Federal  guards,  still 
on  duty,  opened  the  gates  for  Booth,  the  assassin,  to 
pass  out  over  the  East  Potomac  bridge.  So  that 
within  six  hours  after  the  order  of  Gen.  Augur  the 
President  had  been  shot  and  the  criminal  had  es- 
caped through  the  Federal  lines,  his  escape  having 
been  made  possible  by  the  order  of  Gen.  Augur, 
whether  designedly  or  not  the  result  was  the  same, 
and  on  the  25th  day  of  January,  1898,  thirty-three 
years  later,  the  officials  of  the  War  Department  find 
that  proof  of  the  fact  that  John  Wilkes  Booth  lived 
and  was  still  at  large  was  of  no  importance  to  their 
department,  nor  to  the  Department  of  Justice  of  the 
United  States — otherwise  proper  reference  would 

217 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

have  been  made,  and  the  Department  of  Justice  offi- 
cially notified  instead  of  finding  against  an  investi- 
gation of  the  facts  submitted. 

Does  this  finding  against  an  investigation  of  the 
facts  offered,  proof  of  the  truth  that  Booth  was  not 
captured  and  killed — make  void  the  order  of  Secre- 
tary Stanton  on  April  20th,  1865?  If  not,  then  is 
the  Acting  Secretary  of  War,  as  well  as  the  Judge 
Advocate  General,  under  the  provisions  of  this  order, 
guilty  of  assisting,  by  concealment,  the  escape  of 
John  Wilkes  Booth. 

But,  if  the  finding  of  January  25th,  1898,  of  the 
.War  Department  is  a  revocation  of  the  order  of  the 
War  Department  of  April  20th,  1865,  do  such  acts 
of  these  officials  make  them  accessories  after  the 
fact,  as  at  common  law? 

These  charges,  though  grave,  are  justified  by  the 
solemn  records  which  I  hold  as  physical  evidence  of 
the  charges  made,  and  I  appeal  to  the  American  peo- 
ple for  a  verdict  on  the  issues  thus  joined  as  an 
expiation  for  the  murder  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  whose 
death  is  yet  unavenged! 

218 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

Not  being  satified  with  the  disposition  of  this  mat- 
ter by  the  War  Department,  I  turned  to  the  State 
Department,  addressing  a  latter  to  Secretary  John 
Hay,  stating  in  substance  the  facts  which  I  had  sub- 
mitted to  the  War  Department,  and  received  the  fol- 
lowing letter  in  reply : 

"Department  of  State, 
".Washington,  D.  C. 

April  27th,  1900. 
"P.  L.  Bates. 

"Dear  Sir — The  Secretary  of  State  requests  me  to 
acknowledge  receipt  of  your  favor  of  the  24th. of 
April  and  to  thank  you  for  it.    Very  respectfully, 
(Signed)     "E.  J.  BABCOCK, 

"Private  Secretary." 

This  closed  my  efforts  at  presenting  the  matter 
of  Booth's  discovery  to  the  government  of  the 
United  States.  And  at  last  of  what  interest  was  the 
matter  to  Secretary  of  State  John  Hay,  the  pride 
of  the  American  people — the  world's  greatest  diplo- 
mat? 

In  this  connection,  however,  it  will  be  of  interest 
to  note  what  Secretary  Hay,  in  January,  1890,  had 

219 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

to  say  relative  to  John  Wilkes  Booth  and  his  escape : 
"Booth  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-six,  strikingly 
handsome,  with  a  pale  olive  face,  dark  eyes,  and 
that  ease  and  grace  of  manner  which  came  to  him 
by  right  from  his  theatrical  ancestry.  (How  strik- 
ingly like  St.  Helen.)  Booth  in  his  flight  gained  the 
Navy  Yard  bridge  (East  Potomac  bridge)  in  a  few 
minutes,  and  was  allowed  to  pass  the  guards,  and 
shortly  afterward  Herold  came  on  the  bridge  and 
was  allowed  to  pass ;  a  moment  later  the  owner  of  the 
horse  which  Herold  rode  came  up  in  pursuit  of  his 
animal,  and  he,  the  only  honest  man  of  the  three, 
was  turned  back  by  the  guards. 

"If  Booth  had  been  in  health  there  is  no  reason 
why  he  should  not  have  remained  at  large  a  long 
while.  He  might  even  have  made  his  escape  to  some 
foreign  country,  though  sooner  or  later  a  crime  so 
prodigious  will  generally  find  its  perpetrator  out. 
But  it  is  easy  to  hide  among  sympathizing  people; 
many  a  Union  soldier  escaping  from  prison  has 
walked  hundreds  of  miles  through  the  enemy's  coun- 
try, relying  implicitly  upon  the  friendship  of  the 
negroes.  Booth,  from  the  time  he  crossed  the  Navy 

220 


INFORMING  WAR  DEPARTMENT  THAT  BOOTH  LIVES. 

Yard  (East  Potomac)  bridge,  received  the  assistance 
of  a  large  number  of  men.  With  such  devoted  assist- 
ance Booth  might  have  wandered  a  long  way,  but 
there  was  no  final  escape  save  suicide  for  an  as- 
sassin. ' ' 

These  comments  on  the  possibilities  of  Booth's  es- 
cape by  one  of  the  wise,  if  not  in  fact  the  wisest, 
diplomats  known  to  the  civilized  world,  challenges 
attention;  in  fact,  was  prophetic  and  (as  subse- 
quent events  disclosed),  is  paralleled  only  by  the 
prophets  of  old. 

Hay  says,  "from  the  nature  of  things  Booth  could 
have  escaped,  *  *  *  but  there  was  no  final  es- 
cape save  suicide  for  the  assassin."  Who  will  deny 
the  correctness  of  his  prophecy,  since  Booth  did  es- 
cape, remained  in  hiding  thirty-eight  years  and  did 
suicide?  It  was  this  power  of  foreseeing  the  possi- 
bility of  coming  events  that  made  Secretary  Hay  the 
greatest  of  diplomats. 


221 


CHAPTER  XV. 

GEN.  ALBERT  PIKE  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

While  trying  to  trace  Booth  after  he  left  Fresno, 
California,  I  read  a  story  from  Col.  Edward  Levan, 
of  Monterey,  Mexico.  He  says  that  a  man  whom  he 
believed  to  be  Booth  roomed  with  him  during  the 
winter  of  1868,  in  Lexington,  Kentucky.  The  two 
became  quite  friendly,  and  Col.  Levan  openly  de- 
clared to  the  man,  who  was  going  by  the  name  of 
J.  J.  Marr,  that  he  believed  him  to  be  John  Wilkes 
Booth.  Mr.  Marr  did  not  deny  the  allegation,  but 
shortly  thereafter  left  Lexington,  where  he  was 
"playing  the  character  of  a  lawyer." 

Col.  Levan  says  that  he  afterward  learned  that 
Mr.  Marr  had  settled  at  Village  Mills,  Texas,  and 
from  there  went  to  Glenrose  Mills,  Texas,  at  which 
place  I  first  met  John  St.  Helen,  and  where  he  de- 
clared himself  to  be  John  Wilkes  Booth. 

Col.  M.  W.  Connolly,  a  distinguished  newspaper 
man,  at  present  and  for  many  years  past  connected 

222 


GEN.     ALBERT    PIKE. 

The  Veteran  Mason,  Statesman,  Lawyer  and  Poet,  as  He 
Appeared  at  the  Time  of  His  Recognition  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth  at  Port  Worth,  Texas,  in  1885. 


Booth  (as  D.  E.  George)  Playing-  the  Role  of  a  House  Painter, 
and  the  Only  Painting  Job  He  Ever  Did. 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE   IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

with  the  leading  papers  as  editor-in-chief,  a  gentle- 
man of  the  highest  type,  a  brilliant  writer  and  a  man 
of  honor  and  integrity,  says : 

"I  am  strongly  inclined  to  believe  that  David  B. 
George,  who  died  at  Enid,  Oklahoma  Territory,  was 
John  Wilkes  Booth,  the  man  who  killed  Lincoln. 

"In  1883,  while  in  the  little  town  of  Village  Mills, 
Texas,  I  met  George,  although  I  never  knew  his 
name,  and  cannot  say  whether  he  went  under  that 
name  or  not.  He  impressed  me.  I  had  seen  Edwin 
Booth  once  in  Galveston,  and  had  some  knowledge 
of  the  appearance  of  the  Booth  family.  Later  I  went 
to  Fort  Worth  as  editor  of  the  Gazette,  under  the 
late  Walter  Malone.  I  had  forgotten  all  about  my 
casual  acquaintance  of  Village  Mills. 

"One  night  I  was  in  the  Pickwick  Hotel  barroom 
talking  to  Gen.  Albert  Pike,  who  had  come  down 
from  Washington  on  legal  business.  I  had  called  on 
him  to  inquire  about  a  claim  against  the  government 
in  which  he  was  interested — the  claim  of  the  heirs 
of  my  wife's  grandfather,  Major  Michie,  of  La- 
Grange,  Tennessee,  whose  cotton  and  cotton  gins 
were  burned  by  the  Federal  troops  when  Grant  was 

223 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

at  LaGrange.  Capt.  Day,  of  Day  &  Maas,  proprie- 
tors, was  behind  the  bar.  It  was  in  1884  or  1885, 
and  we  were  unconventional  then. 

"Tom  Powell,  mayor  of  Fort  Worth,  joined  us,  and 
Temple  Houston,  youngest  son  of  the  ex-Governor 
of  Tennessee,  the  man  who  whipped  Santa  Anna  at 
San  Jaeinto,  and  the  first  president  of  the  Texas 
republic  (Gen  Sam  Houston),  was  there.  I  was 
about  to  leave,  was  waiting  for  a  pause  in  order  to 
excuse  myself ;  Gen.  Pike  was  explaining  how  he  had 
been  credited  with  the  authorship  of  'The  Old 
Canoe,'  which  he  said  was  written  by  some  woman; 
just  then  my  Village  Mills  friend  came  in  accom- 
panied by  some  one,  I  think  Long  Scurlock,  who 
used  to  edit  the  Chronicle  at  Cleburne,  Texas.  Capt. 
Day  turned  to  make  a  change.  I  was  watching  Gen. 
Pike  closely  (trying  to  get  away),  when  suddenly 
he  threw  up  his  hands,  his  face  white  as  his  hair  and 
beard,  and  exclaimed : 

'"My  God!  John  Wilkes  Booth!'  He  was  much 
excited,  trembled  like  an  aspen,  and  at  my  sugges- 
tion went  to  his  room.  He  seemed  weakened  by  the 
shock,  the  occasion  of  which  I  could  not  realize  at 

224 


GEN.   ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

the  moment.  I  saw  him  climb  the  stairs  to  his  room 
and  turned  to  look  for  my  Village  Mills  acquaint- 
ance, but  could  not  find  him. 

"While  talking  to  Temple  Houston  the  next  morn- 
ing I  pointed  out  my  Village  Mills  friend  when  I 
was  called  to  Gen.  Pike,  who  was  standing  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street,  and  Temple  Houston 
promised  me  that  he  would  look  the  man  up  and  get 
a  story.  I  have  heard  that  the  alleged  Booth,  the 
man  whom  I  had  met,  moved  to  the  Territory  later, 
but  I  took  no  newspaper  interest  in  the  matter. 

"I  never  saw  J.  Wilkes  Booth,  but  I  have  seen  his 
pictures,  and  while  I  am  in  no  way  certain,  I  am 
strongly  of  the  belief  that  the  man  who  died  at  Enid 
was  John  Wilkes  Booth.  I  am  quite  sure  that  the 
venerable  author  of  'Every  Year*  believed  it  was 
the  infatuated  actor,  and  I  am  sure  that  he  was 
amazed  to  find  that  his  bewailment,  'There  are  fewer 
to  regret  us,'  did  not  include  the  man  who  took  a 
leading  part  in  our  great  national  tragedy." 

It  is  of  interest  in  this  connection  to  state  that 
Fort  Worth,  Texas,  is  only  about  forty-fives  miles 
to  the  northeast  of  Grandberry,  Texas,  my  old  home 

225 


GEN.   ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

and  St.  Helen's.  It  was  from  this  place,  in  1878, 
that  he  drifted  to  Leadville,  Colorado,  and  from 
thence  to  Fresno,  California,  and  was  next  seen — in 
1884  or  1885— at  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  near  his  old 
home,  by  Gen.  Albert  Pike,  in  company  with  M. 
W.  Connolly,  and  by  Gen.  Pike  recognized  as  John 
Wilkes  Booth. 

The  man  supposed  to  be  Booth  was  seen  by  others 
before  he  settled  at  Glenrose  Mills,  for  Dr.  H.  W. 
Gay  says : 

"I  knew  John  Wilkes  Booth  in  1857,  and  while  I 
was  at  Fort  Donaldson,  a  prisoner  of  war,  the  news 
was  flashed  over  the  world  that  President  Lincoln 
had  been  slain  by  John  Wilkes  Booth.  I  was  horri- 
fied to  think  of  such  a  thing,  for  Booth,  though  a 
boy  when  I  knew  him,  in  appearance  was  the  most 
accomplished  gentleman  with  whom  I  had  ever  come 
in  contact.  All  who  knew  him  well  were  captivated 
by  him.  He  was  the  most  hospitable,  genial  fellow 
to  be  met,  and  when  drinking  or  much  in  company, 
he  was  always  quoting  Shakespeare,  or  some  other 
poet.  How  many  times  have  I  seen  him  strike  a 
tragic  attitude  and  exclaim: 

226 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE   IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

u  'The  aspiring  youth  who  fires  the  Ephesians  dome 
Outlives  in  fame  the  pious  fools  who  reared  it.' 

"I  read  of  his  capture  and  death  and  never 
doubted  it  until  the  year  1869.  I  was  then  living  in 
what  is  now  Tate  county,  Mississippi.  One  evening 
about  dusk  a  man  came  to  my  house  claiming  that 
he  was  one  of  the  Ku-Klux  Clan  run  out  of  Arkansas 
by  Clayton's  militia  (the  Clayton  referred  to  being 
Powell  Clayton,  until  recently  Ambassador  to  Mex- 
ico). 

"I  soon  recognized  this  man  as  an  erratic  fellow. 
During  his  stay  at  my  house  he  told  me  that  John 
Wilkes  Booth  was  not  killed,  but  made  his  escape 
and  spent  a  short  while  in  Mexico  with  Maximilian 's 
army,  but  got  into  trouble,  and  his  life  was  saved 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a  Catholic.  The 
man  also  stated  that  during  Booth's  short  stay  in 
Mexico  he  had  lived  in  disguise  as  an  itinerant  Cath- 
olic priest.  He  also  told  me  the  story  of  how  Booth 
had  escaped  after  the  assassination  was  done,  and  it 
corresponded  exactly  with  Mr.  Bates'  story  as  told 
by  John  St.  Helen,  even  to  the  crossing  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  at  Catfish  Point  and  going  thence  up 

227 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

the  Arkansas  river  to  Indian  Territory.  And  that 
Booth  afterward  met  Junius  Brutus  Booth  and  his 
mother  in  San  Francisco." 

This  meeting  was  possibly  arranged  while  John 
Wilkes  Booth  was  in  the  Indian  Territory,  and  may 
explain  in  some  measure  his  employment  to  drive  a 
team  from  Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  to  Salt  Lake, 
Utah,  for  Mr.  L.  Treadkel,  in  1866  or  1867,  and  his 
unceremonious  desertion  of  duty  before  reaching 
Salt  Lake  City. 

So  we  have  Booth,  or  St.  Helen,  meeting  his  oldest 
brother,  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  at  San  Francisco  in 
1866  or  1867.  Again  we  locate  him  in  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  in  company  with  Col.  Levan,  in  1868  or 
1869,  and  seen  by  Dr.  Gay  in  Tate  county,  Mississip- 
pi, in  1869.  In  1872  I  met  and  knew  him  intimately  at 
Glenrose  Mills,  Texas.  In  1883  Mr.  Connolly  saw 
him  at  Village  Mills,  Texas,  and  again  in  1884  or 
1885  at  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  where  he  was  recog- 
nized by  Gen.  Albert  Pike. 

At  Fort  Worth  we  lost  sight  of  Booth  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  but  it  seems  from  the  best  obtainable 
information  that  he  drifted  into  the  vicinity  of  Guth- 

228 


GEN,   ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

rie,  Oklahoma  Territory,  but  was  located  at  He.i- 
nessy,  Oklahoma  Territory,  in  the  year  1896,  play- 
ing the  role  of  a  gentleman  of  leisure,  under  the  name 
of  George  D.  Ryan,  where  he  remained  until  some 
time  in  the  year  1899,  when  he  located  at  El  Reno, 
Oklahoma  Territory,  sixty-five  miles  south  of  Hen- 
nessy,  stopping  at  the  Anstein  hotel,  where  he  was 
domiciled  in  1898  when  I  took  up  the  matter  with 
the  government  authorities  at  Washington.  % 

On  moving  to  El  Reno,  in  1899,  Booth  made  de- 
posits of  money,  opening  an  account  with  the  State 
bank  of  that  place,  under  the  name  of  David  E. 
George.  Assuming  the  character  of  a  journeyman 
house  painter  he  took  a  contract  and  painted  a  small 
cottage  for  Mr.  Anstien,  the  proprietor  of  the  An- 
stein hotel,  and  advertised  himself  as  David  E. 
George,  house  painter,  in  the  Daily  Democrat,  a 
newspaper  published  at  El  Reno,  but  took  no  jobs  of 
painting  after  that  first  one  for  Mr.  Anstien,  and  did 
no  other  work  in  this  nor  any  other  business  at  El 
Reno. 

At  the  El  Reno  State  bank,  where  Booth  made  his 
deposits  as  David  E.  George,  the  tintype  picture  of 

229 


GEN.   ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

St.  Helen  (Booth),  taken  twelve  years  after  the  as- 
sassination of  President  Lincoln,  was  at  once  identi- 
fied by  the  officials  of  the  bank  as  being  a  true  like- 
ness of  the  man  David  E.  George,  who  made  the  de- 
posits at  their  bank  and  with  whom  they  were  per- 
sonally acquainted.  At  the  request  of  Mr.  Bellamy, 
one  of  the  bank  officials,  I  went  with  him  to  another 
bank,  the  name  of  which  I  do  not  now  remember, 
and  was  introduced  to  the  president  of  this  bank, 
whose  name  I  believe  was-  Dr.  Davis,  who  at  once 
identified  the  tintype  picture  of  St.  Helen  as  a  true 
and  correct  likeness  of  David  E.  George. 

After  remaining  at  the  Anstien  Hotel  for  quite  a 
long  while  David  E.  George  (Booth)  bought  a  cot- 
tage at  El  Eeno,  paying  thirty-five  hundred  dollars 
for  it,  where  he  installed  a  family  by  the  name  of 
Simmons,  who  were  to  board  him  for  the  rent  of  the 
place.  He  told  the  Anstiens  that  he  was  tired  of 
hotel  life  and  requested  them  to  look  for  a  wife  for 
him,  saying  in  a  joking  way  that  he  would  pay  hand- 
somely for  one  well  suiting  his  fancy,  who  would  be 
willing  to  take  charge  of  his  cottage  home. 

230 


GEN.    ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

Mrs.  Simmons  also  took  to  board  with  her  the 
Methodist  minister  and  his  wife,  the  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Harper.  Mr.  Harper  is  a  man  of  means  and  follows 
the  ministry  as  a  matter  of  choice  and  not  as  a  means 
of  livelihood,  and  his  wife  is  a  lady  of  great  refine- 
ment and  culture,  occupying  in  church  and  social 
circles  a  high  position.  Being  thrown  much  together 
in  the  ordinary  course  of  everyday  life  at  the  cottage 
Mrs.  Harper  as  well  as  the  members  of  the  Simmons 
family  grew  to  be  on  intimate  terms  with  George 
(Booth),  who  fell  ill  with  his  chronic  asthmatic  af- 
fliction, from  which  he  suffered  a  great  deal,  and 
was  removed  from  his  cottage  home  to  the  Kerfoot 
Hotel.  Mrs.  Harper,  Mrs.  Simmons  and  other  kind- 
hearted  ladies  of  the  city  visited  George  (Booth), 
who  by  right  of  birth  and  breeding  moved  in  the  so- 
cial circle  to  which  he  was  born,  regardless  of  his 
advertisement  in  the  Democrat  as  a  house  painter, 
performing  for  him  such  ministries  as  were  neces- 
sary. 

Mrs.  Harper  makes  the  following  statement: 
"Mr.  George  (Booth)  had  been  a  resident  of  the 
Territory  for  several  years.     He  had  always  been 

231 


GEN.   ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

well  supplied  with  money,  the  origin  or  source  of 
which  no  one  knew,  for  from  some  mysterious  source 
he  received  a  regular  remittance.  He  was  a  familiar 
figure  in  Guthrie,  El  Reno  and  Enid.  My  acquaint- 
ance with  Mr.  George  led  me  to  believe  him  to  be  a 
very  different  person  from  what  he  represented  him- 
self to  be  as  David  E.  George,  the  painter.  He  was 
eccentric,  and  though  he  claimed  to  be  a  painter  of 
houses,  yet  he  did  no  work.  He  was  possessed  of 
the  highest  degree  of  intelligence,  had  always  the 
bearing  of  a  gentleman  of  cultivation  and  refine- 
ment, and  in  conversation  was  fluent  and  captivat- 
ing, while  he  discussed  subjects  of  the  greatest  mo- 
ment with  learning,  familiarity  and  ease.  There 
were  very  few  people  with  whom  he  cared  to  asso- 
ciate. Generally  he  was  gloomy,  though  at  times  he 
would  brighten  up,  sing  snatches  of  stage  songs  and 
repeat  Shakespeare's  plays  in  an  admirable  manner. 
He  was  so  well  versed  in  these  plays  and  other  writ- 
ings that  he  would  often  answer  questions  with  a 
quotation. 

"At  one  time  the  young  people  of  El  Reno  had  a 
play  of  some  kind.    One  of  the  actors  became  ill  and 

233 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE   IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

Mr.  George  (Booth)  filled  the  place  to  the  great  ad- 
miration and  entertainment  of  those  who  saw  him. 
When  surprise  was  expressed  at  his  ability  as  an 
actor  he  replied  that  he  had  acted  some  when  he  was 
a  young  man. 

"Regarding  his  people,  he  told  different  stories. 
One  time  he  said  his  father  was  a  doctor,  and  he 
and  a  brother  were  the  only  children;  that  his 
mother  had  married  again  and  two  half  brothers 
were  living  in  the  Indian  Territory,  their  name  being 
Smith,  and  that  he  had  property  in  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory. Again  he  seemed  very  lonely  at  times,  and 
said  that  he  had  not  a  relative  in  the  world.  He  was 
subject  to  fits  of  melancholia,  was  extremely  sensi- 
tive, quick  tempered  and  rather  excitable.  He  said 
he  had  never  married.  There  seemed  to  be  some- 
thing constantly  on  his  mind  about  which  he  thought, 
and  which  made  him  miserable.  He  seemed  to  love 
to  have  one  understand  that  he  was  in  trouble  and 
appreciated  sympathy. 

"He  remained  with  the  Simmons  family  three 
months  and  treated  everyone  with  the  greatest  kind- 
ness and  consideration.  Never  do  I  remember  his 

233 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE   IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

mentioning  the  history  of  his  past  life  or  that  he 
was  other  than  David  E.  George  until  the  time  he 
thought  he  was  going  to  die — that  was  about  the 
middle  of  April,  1902. 

"He  had  gone  up  town,  but  returned  shortly  and, 
entering  the  room  where  Mrs.  Simmons,  Mrs.  Bears 
and  myself  were  seated,  he  made  some  remarks  re- 
garding the  weather,  which  was  unusually  fine  for 
the  time  of  year.  He  then  went  to  his  room  and  in 
about  fifteen  minutes  called  for  us,  and  said : 

"  'I  feel  as  if  I  am  going  to  be  very  sick.'  He 
was  lying  on  his  bed  and  asked  me  to  get  him  a 
mirror.  For  some  time  he  gazed  at  himself  in  the 
mirror. 

"Mrs.  Bears  said  she  could  see  the  pupils  of  his 
eyes  dilate  and  believed  that  he  had  taken  mor- 
phine. Being  uneasy,  she  went  out  o.  che  room  and 
got  him  a  cup  of  coffee  and  insisted  until  he  drank 
it,  but  when  she  suggested  sending  for  a  physician 
he  roused  himself  and  in  a  peculiar  and  dramatic 
manner  and  voice  said,  while  holding  the  mirror  in 
front  of  his  face : 

234 


GEN.  ALBERT  PIKE  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

"  'Stay,  woman,  stay.  This  messenger  of  death 
is  my  guest,  and  I  desire  to  see  the  curtain  of  death 
fall  upon  the  last  tragic  act  of  mine, '  which  passion- 
ate utterance  brought  tears  to  our  eyes.  And  when 
I  turned  to  wipe  the  tears  from  my  eyes  he  called 
me  to  his  side  and  said : 

'  'I  have  something  to  tell  you.  I  am  going  to 
die  in  a  few  minutes,  and  I  don't  believe  you  would 
do  anything  to  injure  me.  Did  it  ever  occur  to  you 
that  I  am  anything  but  an  ordinary  painter?  I 
killed  the  best  man  that  ever  lived.'  I  asked  him 
who  it  was  and  he  answered: 

"  'Abraham  Lincoln.' 

"I  could  not  believe  it.  I  thought  him  out  of  his 
head  and  asked:  'Who  was  Abraham  Lincoln?' 

"  'Is  it  possible  you  are  so  ignorant  as  not  to 
know?'  he  asked.  He  then  took  a  pencil  and  paper 
and  wrote  down  in  a  peculiar  but  legible  hand  the 
name,  'Abraham  Lincoln,'  and  said: 

"  'Don't  doubt  it,  it  is  true.  I  am  John  Wilkes 
Booth.' 

"  'Am  I  dying  now?'  he  asked.  'I  feel  cold,  as  if 
death's  icy  hand  was  closing  my  life  as  the  forfeit 
for  my  crime.' 

235 


GEN.   ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

"He  then  told  me  that  he  was  well  off.  He  seemed 
to  be  perfectly  rational  while  talking  to  me.  He 
knew  me  and  knew  where  he  was,  and  I  believe  he 
really  thought  in  fact  that  he  was  dying,  and  asked 
me  to  keep  his  secret  until  he  was  dead,  adding  that 
if  any  one  should  find  out  now  that  he  was  J.  "Wilkes 
Booth  they  would  take  him  out  and  hang  him,  and  the 
people  who  loved  him  so  well  now  would  despise  him. 
He  told  me  that  people  high  in  official  life  hated 
Lincoln  and  were  implicated  in  his  assassination.  He 
said  that  the  suspense  of  possibly  being  detected 
preyed  on  his  mind  all  the  time  and  was  something 
awful,  and  that  his  life  was  miserable.  He  said  that 
Mrs.  Surratt  was  innocent  and  he  was  responsible 
for  her  death  as  well  as  that  of  several  others.  He 
said  that  he  was  devoted  to  acting,  but  had  to  give 
it  up  because  of  his  crime,  and  the  fact  that  he  must 
remain  away  from  the  stage,  when  he  loved  the  life 
and  profession  of  acting  so  well,  made  him  restless 
and  ill  tempered.  He  said  he  had  plenty  of  money, 
but  was  compelled  to  play  the  character  of  a  work- 
ing man  to  keep  his  mind  occupied. 

236 


GEN.   ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

"In  the  mean  time  Dr.  Arnold  arrived  and  as  ft 
result  of  his  efforts  Mr.  George  was  restored.  After 
this  he  was  very  anxious  for  weeks  regarding  what 
he  had  told  me  and  questioned  me  concerning  it. 
I  answered  him  that  he  had  told  me  nothing  of  im- 
portance, but  he  seemed  to  know  better.  One  day 
he  saw  me  looking  at  a  picture  of  Lincoln  and  asked 
me  why  I  was  looking  at  it.  I  told  him  that  I  had 
always  admired  Lincoln. 

"  'Is  that  the  only  reason  you  have  for  looking  at 
it?'  he  asked,  regarding  me  with  a  fierce  look.  A 
peculiar  expression  came  over  his  face,  his  eyes 
flashed  and  he  turned  pale  and  walked  off. 

"One  peculiar  feature  of  Mr.  George,  or  Booth's, 
face  was  that  one  eyebrow  was  somewhat  higher 
than  the  other.  I  have  noticed  him  limp  slightly, 
but  he  said  it  was  rheumatism.  That  Mr.  George  had 
a  past  we  all  knew,  but  what  his  secret  was  remains 
unknown  except  in  so  far  as  he  may  have  communi- 
cated the  truth  to  me." 

Booth's,  or  George's,  life  at  El  Reno  was  much 
the  same  as  I  have  found  it  at  other  places — a  simi- 
larity and  accumulative  evidence  unmistakably  es- 

237 


GEN.  ALBERT  PIKE  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

tablishing  his  identity  of  person  and  character 
wherever  he  located.  It  seems  to  have  been  his  pol- 
icy to  change  his  name  and  character  as  often  as  he 
changed  his  place  of  residence.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  when  he  left  Hennessy  for  El  Reno  that 
he  changed  his  name  from  George  D.  Ryan  to  David 
E.  George,  and  his  occupation  and  dress  from  that 
of  a  gentleman  of  leisure  to  that  of  a  journeyman 
painter  of  houses,  which  character  he  acted  to  such 
perfection  that,  although  he  painted  but  one  house, 
and  did  that  in  such  an  uneven  and  unworkmanlike 
manner  as  to  show  that  he  knew  little  or  nothing 
about  painting,  yet  people  thought  he  knew  all  about 
it,  and  just  why  he  did  no  more  painting  the  general 
public  did  not  understand.  Upon  inquiry,  however, 
George,  or  Booth,  was  always  ready  with  a  satis- 
factory explanation.  When  the  editor  of  the  El  Reno 
Democrat,  in  which  paper  he  put  an  advertisement 
as  a  tradesman  of  house  painting,  at  a  cost  of  four 
dollars  a  month,  thinking  it  a  useless  expense,  so 
universally  was  it  known  that  George,  or  Booth,  did 
no  such  work,  suggested  this  to  him,  George,  or 
Booth,  indignantly  demanded  to  know  if  the  editor 

238 


GEN.   ALBERT   PIKE   IDENTIFIES   BOOTH. 

was  uneasy  about  the  price  of  the  card,  if  so  he 
would  pay  for  it  in  advance.  The  editor  apologized 
and  the  card  continued  from  month  to  month  for 
two  years,  up  to  the  date  of  the  death  of  George. 

Booth's  purpose  in  this  is  obvious.  He  wanted  to 
keep  himself  constantly  before  the  public  as  a  paint- 
er, not  that  he  wanted  work,  but  to  keep  alive  his 
identity  as  a  painter  while  he  played  the  deceptive 
character.  The  'little  cottage  painted  for  Mr.  An- 
stien  was  the  stage  setting  to  the  character,  the  card 
in  the  paper  was  his  program  and  he  played  to  a  suc- 
cessful finish  this  drama  of  the  journeyman  painter. 

Booth's  idea  in  purchasing  the  cottage  and  estab- 
lishing a  home  for  himself  was  probably  because  he 
thought  he  would  enjoy  it  after  a  long  and  homeless 
life,  alone  whether  on  the  plains,  in  the  mountains 
or  the  best  hotels — for  it  was  his  custom  to  put  up 
at  only  the  best  hotels  wherever  he  went.  Thus, 
when  he  reached  El  Reno  he  went  to  the  Anstien 
Hotel,  the  best  one  then  in  the  city,  and  as  good  as 
any  there  now.  But  three  months  of  home  life  was 
quite  sufficient  for  him  and  he  moved  into  the  Ker- 
foot  Hotel,  1he  newest  and  most  up-to-date  hotel  in 

239 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE  IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 

El  Reno,  which  was  completed  after  he  left  the  An- 
stien  for  his  cottage.  Just  how  it  was  possible  for 
Booth  to  stay  at  this  hotel,  the  stopping  place  of 
most  ol  the  traveling  public,  and  escape  detection 
in  his  changed  character  from  " Gentleman  Ryan" 
to  "Journeyman  House  Painter  George,"  by  people 
from  Hennessy,  only  about  sixty-five  miles  away, 
who  must  have  frequented  this  hotel,  is  hard  to  un. 
derstand.  Nevertheless  it  is  true.  It  would  be  pos- 
sible, perhaps  easy,  to  deceive  as  to  occupation,  but 
to  successfully  disguise  his  person,  and  change  his 
name,  is  remarkable  and  certainly  required  all  the 
genius  of  the  actor,  John  "Wilkes  Booth,  who  played 
the  change  of  name,  person  and  character  practically 
in  the  same  community.  At  El  Reno,  Guthrie  and 
Enid  he  was  known  as  George,  while  at  Hennessy, 
within  the  same  section,  he  was  known  as  George  D. 
Ryan,  and  that  he  was  not  recognized  and  exposed 
staggers  comprehension  and  creates  disbelief,  nev- 
ertheless Booth  did  this  successfully,  as  he  aid  many 
other  surprising  things. 

Leaving  El  Reno,  Booth,  or  George,  arrived  at 
Enid  on  the  3d  day  of  December,  1902,  and  registered 

240 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE   IDENTIFIES     BOOTH. 

at  the  Grand  Avenue  Hotel,  under  the  name  of  David 
E.  George.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Harper  and  his 
wife  had  removed  from  El  Reno  to  Enid,  from  which 
place  she  made  the  following  statement: 

"Enid,  Oklahoma  Territory,  Jan.  23d,  1903. 

"On  the  evening  of  January  13th,  I  was  startled 
and  surprised  by  reading  in  the  Enid  Daily  News 
of  the  suicide  of  David  E.  George,  of  El  Reno,  with 
whom  I  first  became  acquainted  in  March,  1900,  iu 
El  Reno,  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Simmons. 

"Mr.  Harper  went  down  on  Wednesday  morning, 
the  14th  instant,  and  recognized  him,  and  told  the 
embalmers  of  a  confession  that  David  E.  George  had 
made  to  myself,  and  that  they  had  better  investi- 
gate. 

"I  went  to  the  morgue  with  Mr.  Harper  on  the 
15th  and  identified  the  corpse  of  David  E.  George 
as  the  man  who  had  confessed  to  me  at  El  Reno  that 
he  was  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and,  as  brevity  has  been 
enjoined  on  me,  will  reaffirm  my  former  statement 
made  in  detail  of  David  E.  George's  confession  to  me 
at  El  Reno,  about  the  middle  of  April,  1900,  as  fully 
as  if  same  were  set  forth  herein. 

(Signed.)  "MRS.  E.  C.  HARPER." 

241 


GEN.   ALBERT  PIKE   IDENTIFIES  BOOTH. 
"  Territory  of  Oklahoma, 

)S8. 

"  County  of  Garland. 

"Mrs.  E.  C.  Harper,  first  being  duly  sworn,  upon 
her  oath  says  that  the  facts  were  written  above  by 
herself;  that  she  knows  the  facts  she  has  written, 
and  that  the  same  are  true. 

(Signed)  "MRS.  B.  C.  HARPER, 

' '  Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this  the  24th 
day  of  January,  1903. 

(Signed)  "A.  A.  STRATFORD, 

"Notary  Public. 

(L.  S.)  "My  commission  expires  November  18th, 
1906." 


242 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  THE  SUICIDE  OF 
DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

"Enid  Wave:  Enid,  Oklahoma  Territory,  Janu- 
ary 17th,  1903.— (Special.)— David  E.  George,  a 
wealthy  resident  of  the  Territory,  who  committed 
suicide  here,  announced  himself  on  his  deathbed  to 
be  John  Wilkes  Booth,  the  assassin  of  President  Lin- 
coln. He  stated  that  he  had  successfully  eluded  the 
officers  after  shooting  Lincoln  and  since  had  re- 
mained incognito.  His  statement  caused  a  sensa- 
tion, and  an  investigation  was  made.  Surgeons  ex- 
amined the  body  and  stated  the  man  to  be  of  the 
age  Booth  would  be  at  this  time,  and  announced 
that  his  leg  was  broken  in  the  same  place  and  in  the 
same  manner  as  that  of  Booth  after  jumping  from 
the  President's  box  at  Ford's  Theater  after  the  as- 
assination.  All  the  time  George  has  received  money 
regularly  from  unknown  sources,  and  telegrams  ar- 
riving yesterday  and  today  ask  that  the  body  be  held 
for  identification.  It  is  claimed  that  one  telegram 

243 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  K  GEORGK 

came  from  the  address,  George  E.  Smith,  Colfax, 
Iowa,  the  same  as  the  mysterious  money  remittances. 
Smith  is  unknown  to  any  one  in  Oklahoma.  Upon 
his  arrival  in  Enid  today  he  commanded  that  no 
other  person  be  allowed  to  view  the  remains,  and 
promised  to  return  for  the  body  later. 

"Mr.  Smith  was  asked  if  George  had  ever  con- 
fessed any  of  his  life's  history  to  him,  to  which  he 
answered:  'Well,  yes,  to  some  extent.  He  has  had 
a  past  of  which  I  do  not  care  to  speak  at  the  pres- 
ent. I  think  he  killed  a  man  in  Texas.  He  may  be 
Booth.' 

"George  committed  suicide  in  the  Grand  Avenue 
Hotel,  taking  poison.  He  previously  attempted  sui- 
cide at  El  Reno.  A  letter  found  in  his  pocket  ad- 
dressed, 'To  Whom  It  May  Concern,'  sets  aside  a 
former  will  which  he  made,  although  its  contents 
are  not  known.  He  was  worth  about  thirty  thousand 
dollars,  owning  property  in  El  Reno,  Oklahoma;  in 
Dallas,  Texas,  and  a  lease  on  six  hundred  acres  in 
the  Indian  Territory.  He  carried  $5,000.00  insur- 
ance. 

244 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

"No  reason  for  the  suicide  is  known.  George 
maintained  on  his  death  bed  to  his  attendants  that 
he  was  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and  his  general  appear- 
ance closely  resembles  that  of  the  murderer  of  Lin- 
coln." 

The  following  appeared  in  the  same  paper  under 
proper  date: 

"Enid,  Oklahoma,  January  21st,  1903.— The 
Wave's  editorial  and  reportorial  force  have  been 
searching  closely  for  data  and  evidence  to  sustain 
or  obliterate  the  report  that  the  remains  lying  in  the 
Enid  morgue,  under  the  name  of  David  E.  George, 
could  possibly  be  those  of  J.  Wilkes  Booth,  who  as- 
sassinated Abraham  Lincoln  nearly  thirty-eight 
years  ago.  All  the  history  or  account  of  that  sad 
and  terrible  affair  to  be  found  in  the  city  has  been 
searched,  and  while  the  history  at  hand  leaves  but 
little  doubt  of  the  decease  of  Booth  in  attempting  to 
escape  from  the  burning  barn  in  Virginia,  that  he 
was  shot  by  Boston  Corbett  upon  his  first  appear- 
ance from  the  barn,  and  that  he  died  on  the  porch 
of  Garrett's  Virginia  farm  home,  was  taken  to 
Washington,  identified  and  buried  secretly,  that  a 

245 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

diary  was  found  on  his  person,  etc.,  yet  the  fact 
still  remains  that  a  doubt  did  exist  with  the  govern- 
ment as  to  the  positive  identity  of  the  man  killed ; 
hence  the  reward  for  his  capture  was  never  paid, 
for  the  identity  was  not  clear.  The  Wave  is  still  of 
the  opinion  that  the  possibility  of  the  dead  man 
being  all  that  is  mortal  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  re- 
mains in  doubt,  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  ev- 
idence goes  to  show  that  if  George  was  not  Booth 
he  was  his  double,  which,  in  connection  with  his  vol- 
untary confession  to  Mrs.  Harper,  makes  the  case 
interesting  and  worthy  the  attention  of  the  Attor- 
ney General's  department  of  the  United  States. 

Doctors  Baker  and  Way  unearthed  the  December, 
1901,  number  of  the  Medical  Monthly  Journal  in 
their  office,  which  number  was  almost  wholly  de- 
voted to  the  consideration  of  the  murderers  of  the 
Presidents  of  the  United  States  and  European  po- 
tentates. In  this  pamphlet  we  found  a  portrait  of 
J.  .Wilkes  Booth,  with  quite  a  writeup  as  to  his 
character,  a  physical  and  anatomical  description 
among  other  descriptions.  It  said  the  forehead  of 
J.  Wilkes  Booth  was  Kephalonard,  the  ears  exces- 

246 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

sively  and  abnormally  developed,  inclined  to  the  so- 
called  Satanic  type;  the  eyes  were  small,  sunken 
and  unequally  placed;  the  nose  was  normal;  the 
facial  bones  and  jaw  were  arrested  in  development, 
and  there  was  a  partial  V-shaped  dental  arch;  the 
lower  jaw  was  well  developed. 

"Yesterday  the  editor  of  the  paper,  in  company 
with  Dr.  McElreth,  visited  the  corpse  and  compared 
it  with  the  above  description  of  Booth,  and  we  must 
acknowledge  that  the  dead  man  shows  all  the  marks 
credited  to  Booth  above  in  every  particular.  The 
satanic  ear  is  not  much  larger  than  the  ordinary 
ear,  but  the  lower  lobe  thereof  clings  close  to  the 
side  of  the  head  instead  of  projecting  outward  like 
the  common  or  ordinary  ear.  The  corpse  has  that 
kind  of  an  ear.  The  eyebrows  of  the  dead  man  are 
not  mates  in  appearance,  which  fits  the  description 
•f  Booth.  The  Booth  chin,  mouth,  upper  lip  and 
general  description  is  absolutely  perfect  in  the 
corpse. 

"The  Wave  has  been  searching  for  a  fac-simile  of 
Booth's  handwriting.  It  was  found  today  in  a  copy 
•f  Harper  Brothers'  Pictorial  History  of  the  Civil 

247 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

.War,  and  we  were  startled  when  we  compared  it 
with  the  round,  little,  scrawly  boy  writing  of  D.  B. 
George.  We  placed  the  very  last  words  George 
wrote  by  the  side  of  the  f  ac-simile  writing  of  Booth, 
and  it  really  seemed  to  us  that  one  and  the  same 
man  had  written  both,  Booth's  f  ac-simile  signature 
shown  in  Harper's  Pictorial  History  indicated  the 
same  irregular  handwriting  as  George's. 
^"History  readers  will  remember  that  a  supposed 
attempt  was  made  to  poison  President  Lincoln  in  a 
hotel  in  Meadeville,  Pennsylvania,  in  August,  1864. 
A  notice  appeared  in  the  window  of  the  hotel,  say- 
ing: 

"  'Abe  Lincoln  departed  this  life  August  1st,  1864, 
by  the  effects  of  poison.' 

I  "After  the  Washington  tragedy  this  handwriting 
on  the  window  was  found  to  be  the  handwriting  of 
J.  Wilkes  Booth,  and  as  it  appeared  in  Harpers'  Pic- 
torial History  of  the  Civil  War  it  is  a  fac-simile  of 
the  writing  of  D.  E.  George,  now  supposed  to  be 
Booth." 

The  Post-Dispatch,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  through 
its  reportorial  staff,  made  a  similar  investigation, 

248 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  K  GEOKGE. 

writing  an  editorial  report  in  confirmation  of  the  in- 
vestigation made  and  published  by  the  Enid  Wave  as 
above  given,  but  which  is  not  here  reproduced  be- 
cause it  would  be  but  cumulative  evidence  of  the  sub- 
ject. However,  we  do  give  the  following: 

' '  The  Perry,  Oklahoma  Republican :  Perry,  Okla- 
homa, June  5th,  1903.— The  Booth  Case: 

"It  is  now  fully  developed  that  the  man  at  Enid, 
who  committed  suicide  on  January  13th  last,  was 
none  other  than  John  Wilkes  Booth,  the  slayer  of 
President  Lincoln.  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  the  nephew 
of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  has  fully  identified  the  pic- 
ture of  David  E.  George  as  that  of  his  uncle,  John 
Wilkes  Booth. 

"It  has  always  been  known  by  the  Booth  family 
that  John  Wilkes  Booth  was  alive,  and  they  have 
been  in  constant  communication  with  him  ever  since 
April  14th,  1865,  the  day  of  President  Lincoln's  as- 
sassination and  the  escape  of  John  Wilkes  Booth. 
This  knowledge  on  the  part  of  Junius  Brutus  Booth, 
the  actor,  was  what  prompted  him,  or  his  brother 
Edwin,  to  make  remarks  about  the  supposed  grave 
of  J.  Wilkes  Booth.  He  or  they  well  knew  that  the 

249 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

body  in  the  grave  was  not  that  of  J.  Wilkes  Booth. 

"People  conversant  with  the  history  of  the  pub- 
lished capture  of  Booth,  and  with  the  fact  that  the 
reward  offered  by  the  Federal  government  for 
Booth's  capture  has  never  been  awarded,  many  al- 
ways believed  him  to  be  alive.  From  the  time  of 
Booth's  supposed  capture,  in  April,  1865,  until  Jan- 
uary of  this  year,  J.  "Wilkes  Booth  has  been  in  al- 
most constant  touch  with  his  friends.  Being  an 
actor,  and  also  secluded  by  the  wilds  of  Texas  and 
Indian  Territory,  and  through  the  anxious  efforts 
of  friends  and  relatives  to  preserve  his  life,  it  has 
been  an  easy  matter  for  Booth  to  conceal  his  identity. 
In  this  he  has  been  as  smooth  as  was  his  disguise  as 
an  old  colored  man  moving.  There  are  no  records, 
and  never  have  been,  in  the  Federal  archives  which 
go  to  show  any  positive  or  direct  proof  of  the  death 
of  Booth.  There  has  always  been  a  lingering  desire 
in  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  believe  that  such  was 
the  case,  but  to  the  close  student  of  affairs  a  doubt 
has  always  existed. 

"At  the  time  of  the  suicide  of  George  in  Enid  and 
his  claim  to  be  none  other  than  John  Wilkes  Booth, 

25C 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E,  GEORGE. 

the  Republican  stated  its  belief  in  the  confession  of 
the  man.  All  the  facts  in  the  case  have  pointed,  and 
do  now  point,  to  the  truthfulness  of  his  death  bed 
statement.  For  many  years  George,  alias  Booth,  had 
been  furnished  funds  by  his  friends." 

The  following  is  an  editorial  from  the  Daily  Dem- 
ocrat : 

"El  Reno,  Oklahoma  Territory,  June  3d,  1903.— 

"Prom  the  evidence  at  hand  there  is  no  doubt  that 
the  man  who  died  at  Enid  last  January,  and  who 
was  supposed  by  some  to  be  John  Wilkes  Booth,  the 
assassin  of  President  Lincoln,  was  really  that  man, 
he  having  been  identified  by  many  who  knew  John 
Wilkes  Booth  before  the  war,  during  the  war  and 
since  that  time. 

"After  the  death  of  the  man  certain  papers  found 
on  his  person  led  to  the  opinion  that  he  was  the  fu- 
gitive assassin  supposed  to  have  been  killed  thirty- 
three  years  ago,  and  the  body  was  embalmed  to 
await  a  thorough  investigation.  It  has  been  in  an 
undertaking  house  here  ever  since,  and  all  possible 
efforts  have  been  made  to  verify  the  remarkable 
claim  made  by  the  dead  man's  lawyer,  who  came 

251 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

from  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  asserted  that  his 
client  was  none  other  than  the  slayer  of  President 
Lincoln." 

The  St.  Louis  Post-Dispatch  contained  the  follow- 
ing: 

"St.  Louis,  Mo.,  June  3d,  1903. — A  special  from 
Enid,  Oklahoma,  says:  'Junius  Brutus  Booth,  the 
actor,  a  nephew  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  the  assassin 
of  President  Lincoln,  has  fully  identified  from  pho- 
tographs, etc.,  the  man,  David  E.  George,  as  his  un- 
cle, John  Wilkes  Booth. 

"George,  or  Booth,  committed  suicide  here  Jan- 
uary 13th  last,  and  in  his  effects  was  found  a  letter 
directed  to  F.  L.  Bates,  Memphis,  Tern.,  who  carae 
here  at  once  and  identified  the  body  as  that  of  John 
[Wilkes  Booth,  and  has  since  secure!  confirmation 
of  his  statement  that  George  is  in  fact  Booth." 

The  foregoing  are  a  few  of  the  many  comments 
in  the  various  publications  made  at  the  time  of  the 
suicide  confirming  the  identification  of  the  man 
known  as  George  to  be  John  Wilkes  Booth,  showing 
and  reflecting  the  opinion  of  the  disinterested  masses 
through  the  expressions  of  the  press,  the  best  and 

252 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

only  medium  for  gathering  facts  from  expression  of 
opinion.  I  could  fill  this  volume  with  press  reports 
supporting  the  identity  herein  given,  and  these  have 
merely  been  used  for  the  secondary  purpose  of  show- 
ing how  I  became  advised  of  the  suicide's  death. 

"While  I  have  never  been  able  to  secure  the  letter 
referred  to  in  the  last  clipping — it  having  been  taken 
from  the  body  of  the  dead  man  as  he  lay  in  the 
morgue  awaiting  identification  by  a  mysterious  man 
who  claimed  to  have  known  George  in  life,  and  who 
disappeared  before  my  arrival  on  the  scene — still 
it  was  seen  by  two  gentlemen  of  integrity  and  served 
the  direct  purpose  of  additional  confirmation  of  the 
identity  of  the  body  as  that  of  Booth.  I  presume 
that  this  letter  was  the  basis  of  the  telegram  received 
by  me  about  the  17th  of  January,  1903,  asking  me 
to  come  to  Enid  and  identify  the  body  of  John 
[Wilkes  Booth.  In  answer  to  this  telegram  I  left 
Memphis  that  same  afternoon  for  Enid. 

Owing  to  many  washouts  over  the  Frisco  System, 
which  line  I  took  to  Enid,  I  was  several  days  reach- 
ing the  latter  point.  I  missed  connection  at  El  Reno 
on  account  of  these  delays,  where  transfers  are  made 

153 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  3EORGE 

for  Enid,  and  had  to  remain  there  one  night.  I 
wired  the  clerk  of  the  Grand  Avenue  Hotel,  how- 
ever, that  I  would  reach  there  the  next  morning.  I 
was  met  at  the  Enid  depot  by  Mr.  Brown,  the  clerk 
of  the  hotel  named,  who  informed  me  that  my  com- 
ing was  awaited  with  great  anxiety  by  a  large  and 
much-excited  throng  of  people  from  widely  located 
sections  of  the  country,  and  that  there  was  a  large 
number  of  old  Federal  soldiers  in  the  city,  who,  it 
had  been  whispered  about,  intended  to  take  the  body 
into  the  streets  and  burn  it,  if  it  should  be  identified 
as  that  of  John  Wilkes  Booth.  He  suggested  that  I 
register  under  an  assumed  name,  and  that  I  should 
play  the  role  of  a  drummer  for  a  furniture  house, 
carrying  as  a  specialty  feather  top  mattresses,  say- 
ing that  as  T.  B.  Road  was  the  pessworl  for  Booth 
at  the  Potomac  bridge,  so  feather  top  mattresses  was 
to  be  the  password  which  would  make  me  known  to 
Mr.  Pennaman,  who  was  a  large  furniture  dealer  as 
well  as  proprietor  of  the  undertaking  establishment 
and  morgue  of  the  city  where  the  body  of  Booth  lay 
in  state.  It  was  estimated  that  more  than  fifty 
thousand  men,  women  and  children  had  viewed  tha 

254 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

body  of  Booth.  The  crowd  had  grown  so  great  that 
the  doors  to  the  morgue  had  to  be  closed,  as  it 
seemed  that  the  place  would  be  actually  picked  to 
pieces  by  the  souvenir  hunters ;  they  had  cut  up  the 
carpets,  rugs,  curtains,  shades,  furniture  and  every- 
thing else  in  the  house  convenient  at  the  time. 

We  had  plenty  of  time  to  talk  on  the  way  from 
the  depot  to  the  Grand  Avenue  Hotel,  as  it  seems  a 
part  of  the  plan  in  the  West  to  locate  the  depots  as 
far  from  the  town  and  hotels  as  possible,  to  add  as 
much  inconvenience  and  expense  as  the  traveling 
public  can  stand,  I  suppose.  Arriving  at  the  hotel 
we  found  a  large  crowd  of  excited  men  in  earnest 
conversation,  but  scanning  every  passenger  who  en- 
tered the  hotel.  I  walked  up  to  the  desk  and  reg- 
istered as  Charles  0  'Connor,  of  New  York  City.  As 
I  turned  away  from  the  register  a  tall,  well-dressed 
young  man  glanced  at  the  name  and  I  could  not  help 
a  quiet  smile  at  his  disgust  when  he  read  the  name 
I  had  just  written.  And  I  smile  even  now  when  I 
recall  the  tall,  dark,  olive-complected,  black-eyed  re- 
porter, who  expressed  such  contempt  in  his  manner 
as  he  glanced  at  the  insignificant  man  with  so  ex- 

855 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

alted  a  name.  He  was  on  a  hot  trail,  but  so  far  away. 
If  he  is  living  now  I  hope  he  will  read  this  story  and 
learn  how  well  he  judged  his  man,  and  that  I  now 
forgive  him. 

After  being  dusted  off  and  otherwise  perfecting 
my  toilet,  I  walked  into  the  spacious  breakfast  room 
of  the  hotel,  where  I  was  again  met  by  Mr.  Brown, 
who  joined  me  at  a  private  table  specially  prepared 
and  removed  from  the  other  guests  in  the  room. 

By  this  time  I  was  well  on  to  my  job — necessity 
being  the  mother  of  invention — I  had  early  made  my 
plans,  and  said  to  Mr.  Brown,  in  the  most  familiar 
way: 

"Well,  Brown,  how  did  you  like  that  last  furni- 
ture shipped  you  by  my  house  ?  We  had  to  ship  the 
feather  mattresses  out  from  Cincinnati,  not  having 
them  in  stock  in  New  York,  and  hope  they  proved 
entirely  satisfactory.  We  are  anxious  to  maintain 
our  already  established  reputation  in  the  West  for 
correct  dealing.  Especially  do  I  hope  those  light 
walnut  suites,  which  I  personally  inspected  before 
shipment,  were  satisfactory,  and  that  no  fault  could 
be  found  with  them,  as  they  were  of  patterns  a  spe- 

256 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

cialty  by  our  leading  designers."  Then  in  an  un- 
dertone I  asked  Brown  if  the  word  "designers"  was 
the  correct  thing  in  this  connection. 

' '  D if  I  know, ' '  he  replied  in  a  whisper.  Then 

in  a  pleasant,  natural  tone  of  voice,  audible  to  those 
present,  he  said:  "The  shipment  made  us  by  your 
house,  as  a  whole,  has  been  entirely  satisfactory, 
and  the  feather  top  mattresses  were  by  far  the  best 
of  their  kind  in  the  market.  By  the  way,  W.  B. 
Pennaman  wants  to  carry  those  mattresses  in  this 
market,  and  it  would  be  well  for  you  to  see  him." 

"Thank  you  very  much  for  this  information,  and 
since  I  don't  know  his  location  in  the  city  I  shall 
trouble  you  for  directions  as  to  how  to  find  him.  I 
shall  certainly  call  on  him  the  very  first  thing. 

"By  the  way,  Brown,  what  is  the  meaning  of  all 
this  excitement  in  town?  Is  there  a  widely  adver- 
tised circus  or  an  election  going  on?"  I  asked,  turn- 
ing to  him,  showing  surprise  in  both  voice  and  man- 
ner. 

"No,"  he  said,  "it  is  on  account  of  the  suicide  at 
this  hotel  the  other  day  of  a  man  who  is  supposed  to 
be  John  Wilkes  Booth." 

257 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

"Yes,  I  have  read  something  of  that  in  the  news- 
papers during  the  past  few  days,"  I  said,  "but  did 
not  suppose  a  report  of  this  character  would  create 
the  present  state  of  excitement.  But,  from  what  I 
read  in  the  newspapers,  I  thought  Booth  killed  him- 
self at  El  Reno. " 

"No,  Booth  lived  at  El  Reno,  but  killed  himself 
in  this  place,  Enid." 

"Is  this  all  a  farce?"  I  asked,  but  at  this  junc- 
ture Mr.  Brown  was  called  to  the  office  and  I  fin- 
ished my  breakfast  in  silence  and  alone. 

Gaining  the  information  as  to  the  location  of  Pen- 
naman's  place  of  business,  I  at  once  went  to  the 
store  of  the  undertaker  and  furniture  dealer.  On 
entering  the  store  I  saw  a  number  of  clerks,  all  busy. 
At  the  center  desk  was  a  handsome  man  of  thirty- 
five  or  forty;  but  which  of  these  men  was  Penna- 
man,  to  whom  I  was  to  talk  feather  top  mattresses, 
was  my  proposition.  I  sized  up  the  men,  walked 
over  to  the  center  desk,  introduced  myself  as  Charles 
O  'Connor  and  inquired  for  Mr.  Pennaman.  The  gen- 
tleman before  me  acknowledged  himself  to  be  the 
man  inquired  for,  and  I  told  him  that  I  was  repre- 

258 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

senting  one  of  the  largest  furniture  houses  in  the 
East;  that  we  made  a  specialty  of  feather  top  mat- 
tresses, and  I  would  be  glad  to  make  a  date  with 
him  to  present  the  merits  of  the  line  of  goods  car- 
ried by  my  firm,  and  invited  him  to  call  on  me  at 
the  commercial  parlors  of  the  Grand  Avenue  Hotel 
at  any  hour  convenient  to  him,  where  I  would  take 
pleasure  in  presenting  samples  and  prices,  which  I 
thought  would  prove  attractive.  He  told  me  he 
was  then  quite  busy,  but  asked  that  I  be  seated,  and 
unlatching  the  gate  to  the  railing  around  his  desk, 
he  invited  me  inside  and  pointed  to  the  papers  on 
the  table.  This  done,  he  excused  himself  and  with 
a  polite  indifference  to  my  presence  proceeded  with 
his  letter  writing. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  this  table  and  chair  had  been 
placed  there  for  me  in  anticipation  of  my  coming. 
The  papers  were  those  containing  the  news  of 
Booth's  suicide,  etcetera,  as  well  as  photographs 
taken  of  Booth  after  death.  I  could  only  admire 
this  delicate  way  of  furnishing  me,  unobserved,  the 
means  of  identifying  the  body  of  Booth  without  ac- 
tually seeing  it,  if  it  should  not  be  opportune  to  do 

259 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

so.  The  recognition  of  St.  Helen,  or  Booth,  in  the 
pictures  provided  was  instantaneous. 

On  the  back  of  the  pictures  was  written  in  a  small, 
fine  hand  with  a  pencil:  "Conceal  and  take  these 
pictures  with  you  and  call  my  attention  when  you 
desire.  I  am  busy,  you  know,  and  must  not  be  an- 
noyed by  you." 

Having  finished  my  inspection,  I  turned  to  him 
and  said:  "Well,  Mr.  Pennaman,  how  are  you  off 
for  feather  top  mattresses?" 

"I  have  none  in  stock,"  he  replied,  rising  and  lead- 
ing the  way  out. 

That  I  might  be  identified  as  a  drummer  for  a 
furniture  house  we  continued  our  conversation  for 
the  edification  of  others  as  we  passed  through  the 
store,  discussing  classes,  prices,  grades  of  mat- 
tresses and  furnitures,  we  walked  back  to  a  side  en- 
trance, commanding  a  view  of  the  street  on  which 
the  morgue  fronted.  Seeing  the  way  clear — no  peo- 
ple having  collected  there — we  passed  back  through 
the  store,  where  Mr.  Pennaman  introduced  me  to  the 
man  in  charge  of  the  morgue  and  the  body  of  Booth 
as  Charles  O'Connor,  a  drummer  for  a  furniture 

260 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

house.  This  gentleman  led  us  through  a  back  way 
to  the  morgue,  which  we  entered  from  a  rear  door 
into  the  front  room,  where  lay  the  body  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  the  man  who  had  been  called  by  the 
people  in  this  community  David  E.  George.  In  the 
presence  of  the  attendant  and  Mr.  Pennaman,  cold, 
stiff  and  dead,  I  beheld  the  body  of  my  iriend,  John 
St.  Helen.  After  a  separation  of  more  than  twenty- 
six  years  I  knew  him  as  instantly  as  men  discern 
night  from  day,  as  the  starlight  from  moonlight,  or 
the  moon  from  the  light  of  day. 

You  ask  what  did  I  say?  I  don't  know.  Mr. 
Pennaman  says  I  exclaimed,  "My  God!  St.  Helen, 
is  it  possible?"  Then  my  manhood  softened  into 
sentiment  and  soul  into  tears.  Spread  the  veil  of 
charity  upon  the  deeds  of  the  dead,  that  mantle  of 
death  cast  in  the  loom  of  sorrow  and  woven  in  the 
warp  and  woof  of  sighs  and  tears.  Shaken  with 
emotion  for  my  dead  friend,  I  had  no  thought  of  the 
crime  that  this  man  had  committed  while  his  body 
lay  at  rest,  seeming  to  sleep  in  pleasant  repose. 

In  a  few  minutes  I  recovered.  I  realized  now  for 
the  first  time  that  I  was  in  the  presence  of  John 

261 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

Wilkes  Booth,  though  I  had,  in  fact,  been  told  so 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  before.  I  had  the 
tintype  picture  which  St.  Helen  had  given  me  at 
Cranberry,  Texas,  twenty-six  years  ago.  I  took  it 
out  and  called  upon  Pennaman  and  the  attendant  to 
bear  witness  with  me  to  the  identity  of  this  dead  man 
with  the  picture,  which  I  showed  them,  when  they 
replied  without  a  moment's  hesitation: 

"We  need  no  picture  to  identify  this  man  in  your 
presence.  Yes,  this  is  the  same  man.  It  is  an  axio- 
matic fact,  not  debatable,  they  are  one  and  the  same 
man." 

We  then  compared  the  high  thumb  joint  on  the 
right  hand,  the  small  scar  in  the  right  brow — the  un- 
even brow — the  scar  received  in  the  accident  men- 
tioned by  Miss  Clara  Morris,  raises  this  brow  to 
an  uneven  line  with  the  left;  the  right  leg  was  ex- 
amined and  we  found  a  slight  indentation  on  the 
surface  of  the  shin  bone — Booth's  leg  was  not  literal- 
ly broken,  there  was  a  fracture  of  the  shin  bone  six 
inches  above  the  ankle ;  I  should  say  a  split  or  slight 
shivering  of  the  bone,  for  besides  the  identation  on 
the  front  of  the  shin  bone  there  were  small  scars 

262 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

plainly  discernable,  where  particles  of  bone  seemed 
to  have  worked  out  through  the  skin  (St.  Helen, 
Booth,  told  me  this  himself),  leaving  small  round 
scars,  while  the  general  shape  of  the  leg  at  this  point 
seemed  curved  a  little.  His  eyes,  head,  forehead, 
chin,  mustache  and  hair  were  all  the  same  as  John 
St.  Helen's,  and  compared  exactly  with  the  picture 
of  St.  Helen,  taken  at  the  time  before  stated,  and 
given  to  me,  the  only  difference  being  that  the  hair 
and  mustache  were  streaked  with  gray  now,  espe- 
cially the  mustache,  which  was  quite  gray  at  its 
parting,  under  the  nose.  His  complexion,  even  in 
death,  retained  somewhat  its  characteristic  olive 
tint,  and  his  beautiful  neck  and  shoulders  were  yet 
preserved.  His  weight  was  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty  pounds,  height  about  five  feet,  eight  or  nine 
inches.  His  shoulders  were  square,  while  his  neck 
rose  from  his  chest  and  shoulders  as  beautifully  as 
the  most  beautifully  formed  woman's,  masculine  it 
is  true,  but  with  that  beautiful  symmetry  01  torm. 
The  embalmer  called  my  attention  to  this  tact,  say- 
ing that  when  he  began  the  operation  of  embalming 
the  body  he  thought  it  advisable  to  make  an  incision 

263 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

at  the  point  where  the  throat  enters  the  chest,  just 
above  the  breastbone,  and  showed  me  a  slight  abra- 
sion there,  but  noticing  this  beautiful  formation  of 
the  body,  he  let  it  remain  intact,  regarding  it  as  a 
formation  of  art  too  beautiful  to  destroy,  even  in  a 
dead  body. 

Lest  my  presence  might  be  discovered,  we  left  the 
morgue,  and  not  a  word  was  spoken  until  we  reached 
Mr.  Pennaman's  desk.  He  was  almost  in  a  state  of 
collapse.  He  held  out  his  hand,  I  clasped  it,  it  was 
cold  and  clammy,  as  the  hand  of  the  dead;  he  was 
pale  to  pallor,  and  told  me  that  he  had  never  under- 
gone such  a  mental  and  physical  experience.  He 
explained  to  me  that  he  had  formerly  been  connected 
with  the  New  York  Sun,  was  one  of  the  city  editors 
of  that  paper;  that  he  had  written  up  John  Wilkes 
Booth  in  detail,  supposing  him  dead,  and  that  now, 
after  all  these  years,  that  Booth's  dead  body  should 
fall  into  his  hands  was  truly  and  unmistakably  a 
shock  to  him.  Even  the  veteran  embalmer  looked 
pale  and  worn,  and  as  he  stood  leaning  against  Mr. 
Pennaman's  dtsk  he  remarked,  "This  is  the  expe- 
rience of  my  life." 

264 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E,  GEORGE. 

I  returned  to  the  Grand  Avenue  Hotel,  passing 
on  my  way  crowds  of  men  standing  here  and  there 
in  earnest  conversation,  with  serious  faces  and  de- 
termined manner.  While  walking  through  these 
groups  of  men  I  imagine  I  had  the  feeling  possessed 
by  the  man  who,  robed  in  a  red  blanket,  passes  in  the 
presence  of  a  mad  bull  in  the  Mexican  amphitheater. 
Nevertheless  I  must  go,  and  I  went  with  the  full  de- 
termination to  say  feather  mattresses  and  all  kinds 
of  furniture  talk  to  the  first  fellow  who  looked  ugly 
and  angry  at  me;  however,  my  knowledge  of  West- 
ern customs  and  Western  habits  stood  me  in  good 
stead  now.  I  knew  who  to  trust,  and  he  was  there 
in  large  force.  With  mimic  snakes  around  his  hat, 
spurs  on  his  boots,  goat  skins  on  his  legs  and  quirt 
in  his  hand  he  was  there,  and  he  was  my  friend — 
one  on  whom  I  could  depend — the  Cow  Boy. 

You  ask,  did  I  belong  to  the  Cow  Boy  Union? 
There  is  no  such  thing  that  I  have  ever  heard  of. 
No.  The  fact  is,  one  Cow  Boy  is  often  the  whole 
thing  by  himself. 

What  would  I  say  to  him  ?  Well,  I  would  not  have 
said  feather  top  mattresses  to  him,  as  I  did  to  Pen- 

265 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

naman  or  hers.  But  in  good  Western  style  I 
would  have  said,  if  pursued  by  an  angry  mob :  "Mill 
'em,  boys.  Mill  'em.  Round  'em  up.  Keep  your 
eye  on  the  lead  steer."  This  is  meaningless  to  you, 
but  to  the  cow  boy  it  would  have  been  an  introduc- 
tion, as  a  cow  boy,  and  to  be  a  cow  boy  among  cow 
boys  is  a  thing  to  be  appreciated  in  times  of  per- 
sonal danger. 

However,  with  a  manner  that  indicated  indiffer- 
ence to  surrounding  dangers,  I  wended  my  way  to 
the  hotel,  where  Mr.  Brown  gave  me  the  inside  facts 
about  Booth's,  or  George's,  coming  to  the  hotel.  He 
said: 

"The  press  reports  about  George's  coming  to  the 
Grand  Avenue  Hotel  and  registering  on  the  morning 
of  the  3d  day  of  December,  1902,  are  correct.  While 
here  George  was  a  constant  reader  of  newspapers,  re- 
maining in  the  reading  room  and  office  most  of  the 
time.  He  seemed  to  be  a  man  of  perfect  leisure, 
paid  his  bills  by  the  week  promptly,  was  genial  and 
pleasant  in  his  manner,  had  a  tendency  to  drink  a 
little  too  much  at  times  and  remained  up  late  at 
nights,  but  was  a  reasonably  early  riser.  When  I 

266 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

was  on  night  watch  he  was  great  company  to  me; 
he  was  well  read,  often  repeating  parts  of  Shakes- 
peare's plays  and  reciting  other  poetry,  which  it 
seemed  natural  to  him  to  know,  reciting  it  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  be  highly  entertaining. 

"At  times  George  would  become  sad  or  rather 
thoughtfully  silent.  In  these  moods  his  discussion 
would  drift  to  matters  of  the  'hereafter.'  I  asked 
him,  'You  mean  after  death?'  He  replied,  'Yes.' 

"I  remember  one  night  we  were  alone;  he  was  in 
what  I  called  his  '  off '  mood.  He  raised  himself  erect 
in  his  chair,  and  in  a  tragic  manner,  with  gestures 
and  expression  suited  to  the  words,  he  said: 

"  'Am  I  better  than  the  dog?  Oh,  no.  He  is  far 
better  than  I !  He  is  capable  of  no  sin  or  crime.  Yet 
when  he  is  found  dead  his  body  is  placed  in  the 
garbage  box.  Then  why  not  ship  my  body  without 
a  crate  to  the  potters  field  of  the  dog?  But  I,  even 
I,  a  man,  am  unworthy  that  the  putrid  flesh  shall 
be  torn  from  my  bones  by  the  vultures  that  pray 
upon  the  flesh  of  the  dead  brute. ' 

"These  utterances  were  made  with  such  strong 
self-accusation  that  I  wondered  what  it  could  mean, 

267 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

and  from  that  time  on  I  watched  every  move  of  the 
man  and  listened  attentively  to  every  word  he  said. 
Whether  it  was  what  George  said  or  the  manner  in 
which  he  said  a  thing,  I  can't  quite  understand,  but 
what  he  said  always  impressed  you.  Of  this  I  am 
sure,  in  all  my  twenty  years  experience  in  the  hotel 
business  I  have  never  seen  such  another  character. 

"He  was  a  handsome  man  for  his  age.  His  black 
eyes,  when  in  repose,  seemed  to  have  lost  luster  by 
age,  but  in  conversation  or  when  repeating  verses 
from  Shakespeare,  or  other  recitations,  they  would 
kindle,  flash  and  sparkle  as  if  inspired  or  ignited 
into  flame  from  the  burning  souls  of  the  eternally 
damned,  while  his  shapely  face  and  magnificent  fore- 
head paled  rather  from  his  natural  olive.  Sitting 
or  standing  with  a  natural,  easy  grace,  in  such  moods 
be  made  a  picture  one  felt  privileged  to  behold,  and 
never  to  be  forgotten.  To  my  dying  day  the  meet- 
ing of  this  man  George,  or  Booth,  will  be  remem- 
bered by  me  as  an  epoch  in  my  life. 

"It  is  true,  Bates.  Be  this  man  who  he  may, 
George,  Ryan,  Marr,  St.  Helen,  Smith  or  Booth,  he 
is  a  man  without  a  model.  He  looks  like  no  one 

268 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

else,  he  acted  like  no  one  else  and  he  talked  like  no 
one  else  that  I  ever  knew  or  saw.1* 

"Well,  Brown,  who  is  this  man?" 

"I  believe  him  to  be  John  Wilkes  Booth,  as  he 
stated  on  his  dying  bed.  In  fact,  I  don't  think  he 
could  be  any  one  else." 

"Did  he  at  any  time  before  his  death  intimate  his 
identity  other  than  George?" 

"No,  he  did  not.  In  his  manner  he  was  quite  un- 
obtrusive and  mixed  but  little  with  the  people  in 
the  hotel,  and  the  scenes  and  recitations  I  have  re- 
ferred to  would  always  be  at  a  time  when  we  were 
alone,  and  the  people  in  the  hotel  supposed  to  be 
asleep." 

"I  noticed  that  some  of  the  press  reports  state 
that  George  committed  suicide  in  the  morning.'' 

"This  was  not  the  case.  On  the  night  of  the  13th 
of  January,  1903,  George  came  into  the  office  and 
reading  room  as  usual  and  spent  some  time  reading 
and  finally  writing  letters.  .When  he  had  finished 
the  letters,  about  ten  o'clock  p.  m.,  he  said  he  was 
going  down  to  the  drug  store,  just  half  a  block  up 
the  street.  He  was  gone  only  a  short  time^  when  ho 

269 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

came  to  the  desk,  obtained  the  key  to  his  room  and 
bade  me  goodnight,  requesting  to  be  called  for 
breakfast  if  he  should  oversleep  his  usual  time.  I 
saw  or  heard  nothing  more  of  him  until  about  half 
past  eleven  o'clock,  when  I  heard  groans  coming 
from  the  first  floor  just  above  the  office,  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  room  occupied  by  George.  The  watch- 
man came  in  hurriedly  and  we  went  at  once  to  his 
room.  On  forcing  his  door  we  found  him  writhing 
and  groaning  in  great  pain.  A  doctor  was  called, 
he  pronounced  the  patient  suffering  from  the  effects 
of  poison  and  began  vigorous  treatment  at  once.  The 
pains  seemed  to  come  and  go,  and  George  seemed  to 
be  suffering  the  greatest  agony.  After  awhile  I  no- 
ticed that  the  pains  or  spasms  seemed  to  come  closer 
together,  and  the  patient  was  drifting  from  under 
the  control  or  force  of  the  antidotes,  and  witnessed 
the  most  horrifying  struggle  for  life  I  ever  saw  or 
ever  could  imagine.  About  four  o  'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing the  doctor  lost  all  hope  of  saving  his  patient,  and 
informed  George  that  if  he  had  anything  to  arrange 
he  had  better  do  so.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Dumont, 

270 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

the  proprietor  of  the  hotel,  had  come  into  the  room, 
the  doctor  having  left.  George  said: 

"  'I  have  only  to  say,  my  name  is  not  George.  I 
am  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and  I  request  that  my  body 
be  sent  to  the  morgue  for  identification, '  when  death 
came  and  relieved  the  suffering  of  the  man  whose 
name  we  did  not  then  know,  and  he  died  at  6:20 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  January  14th,  1903. 

"The  undertaker  was  notified  and  George's  body 
removed  to  the  morgue,  as  he  had  requested.  When 
it  became  generally  reported  that  the  man's  true 
name  was  John  Wilkes  Booth  neither  Mr.  Dumont 
or  myself  had  ever  seen  Mr.  Booth  nor  any  member 
of  his  family  and  consequently  could  not  affirm  or 
deny  the  fact  of  the  true  identity  of  the  man,  though 
I  was  ready  to  believe  then,  and  do  now  believe,  that 
George,  the  man  who  died,  is,  in  fact,  John  Wilkes 
Booth,  as  he  said.  The  truth  is  I  would  believe  any- 
thing he  said,  and  I  understand  that  he  confessed 
his  true  identity  to  a  Mrs.  Harper  of  this  city,  who 
has  identified  the  body  as  that  of  Booth." 

STATEMENT  OF  MESSRS.  DUMONT  and  BROWN 
"Enid,  Oklahoma  Territory,  Jan.  21st,  1903. 

271 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

"To  Whom  It  May  Concern:    We,  S.  6.  Dumoni, 
proprietor,  and  B.  B.  Brown,  clerk,  of  the  Grano. 

Avenue  Hotel,  in  the  city  of  Enid,  and  Territory 
of  Oklahoma,  declare  that  we,  and  each  01  us,  knew 
a  gentleman  who  registered  as  a  guest  of  said  hotel 
on  the  3d  day  of  December,  1902,  under  the  name 
of  D.  E.  George,  who  on  the  13th  day  of  January, 
1903,  committed  suicide  in  said  hotel  by  taking  fif 
teen  grains  of  strychnine  or  arsenic,  and  died  from 
the  effects  of  said  poison  at  6:30  o'clock  a.  m.,  on 
the  14th  day  of  January,  1903,  and  that  we  have  this 
day  been  shown  by  F.  L.  Bates,  of  Memphis,  Ten- 
nessee, a  small  tintype  picture,  together  with  a  pho- 
tograph, and  we  say  that  said  tintype  picture  and 
photograph  are  the  same  and  perfect  pictures  or 
likenesses  in  each  and  every  feature  of  the  said  D. 
E.  George,  the  only  difference  being  that  George, 
or  whomsoever  he  was,  was  older  at  the  time  of  his 
death  than  when  the  pictures  were  taken. 
(Signed)  "B.  B.  BROWN. 

S.  S.  DUMONT. 

272 


PRESS  COMMENTS  ON  SUICIDE  OF  DAVID  E.  GEORGE. 

"Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this,  the  22d 
day  of  January,  1903. 

(Signed)  "GUY  S.  MANOTT, 

(L.  S.)  "Notary  Public. 

"My  commission  expires  October  22d,  1906." 


273 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN 
W1LKES   BOOTH. 

At  the  conclusion  of  my  interview  with  Messrs. 
Dumont  and  Brown  I  left  the  confinement  of  the 
hotel  for  the  fresh  air  and  scenes  of  the  street.  It 
was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  streets 
were  thronged  with  people,  as  they  had  been  in  the 
morning,  while  men,  women  and  children  were  hur- 
rying to  and  fro  on  the  sidewalks.  But  the  crowds 
seemed  to  have  in  a  measure  left  the  public  square, 
where  the  whole  surface  of  the  earth  had  been  worn 
perfectly  smooth  by  the  press  of  human  feet.  In 
the  rear,  to  the  north  and  west  of  the  little  city  of 
Enid,  could  be  seen  many  camps  and  covered 
wagons,  near  which  staked  and  hobbled  horses 
browsed  on  the  outlying  commons.  Small  camp  fires 
burned  slowly  and  watch  dogs  lay  silent  on  the  camp 
grounds,  near  or  under  the  front  wheels  of  the 
wagons,  keeping  guard  while  the  master,  mistress 
and  the  children  walked  the  streets  of  Enid  or  stood 

274 


THESE  ARE   PICTURES   OF  JOHN  WILKES   BOOTH. 

in  groups  around  the  camp  grounds.  Everywhere 
was  that  expression  of  hard,  intense  feeling  that  I 
had  never  seen  before  at  any  time,  and  never  expect 
to  see  again.  Why  was  this?  It  was  said  that  the 
body  of  the  man  who  had  assassinated  President 
Lincoln  lay  in  the  morgue  in  Enid.  It  was  expected 
that  this  body  would  be  identified  by  a  man  who 
should  have  arrived  in  the  morning.  If  the  body 
was  pronounced  to  be  that  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 
it  was  planned  to  make  a  great  bonfire  and  burn 
it  in  the  public  streets  of  Enid.  Yes,  the  body  was 
to  be  tied  to  a  shaft  and  burned  while  surrounded  by 
men,  women  and  children,  hooting,  shouting  and 
chanting  triupmhant  songs  of  revenge  for  the  death 
of  President  Lincoln.  And  when  the  savage  deed 
was  done  the  flickering  flames  from  the  burning 
body  of  the  assassin  would  have  lighted  the  pathway 
of  the  avengers  as  they  homeward  trod. 

And  I,  the  man  expected  and  looked  for  with  such 
anxiety,  walked  among  them,  and  they  knew  it 
not.  I  stood  there,  not  in  fear,  not  in  awe,  but  in 
bewildered  horror  as  imagination  conjured  up  be- 
fore me  the  contemplated  scene.  And  as  I  gazed 

275 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

about  me  at  these  people  I  asked  myself:  What 
manner  of  man  was  Abraham  Lincoln  that  his  mem- 
ory should  be  thus  entombed  in  the  hearts  of  these 
people,  so  far  removed  from  him  and  the  scenes  of 
his  life  and  death — many  of  whom,  in  fact,  were 
born  long  years  after  he  had  died  ?  How  wonderful 
was  this  strange  appreciation  of  the  man.  It  was 
a  lesson  to  me,  a  living  proof  of  the  truth  that  "the 
good  men  do  live  after  them."  About  me  were  men 
and  women  bowed  with  age,  shaking  with  palsied 
limbs,  earnest  men  and  women  in  middle  life,  ordi- 
narily busied  with  its  duties  and  demands,  and 
bright  youth,  girls  and  boys,  flushed  with  its  dreams 
and  hopes,  and  tender  children,  all  treading  the 
paths  and  streets  which  led  from  camp  and  home 
to  the  threshold  of  the  morgue,  where  lay  the  sup- 
posed body  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  silent  in  self-in- 
flicted death,  his  own  hand  avenging  the  crime  it 
had  committed. 

Strange,  indeed,  was  this  spectacle !  I  moved  here 
and  there  among  them,  watching,  wondering,  my 
heart  beating  in  unison  with  the  hearts  of  the  strange 
human  concourse  about  me,  until  twilight  came  and 

276 


JOHN   WILKES    BOOTH,   AGED  64. 

(11  Bays  After  Death.)     In  the  Morgue  at  Enid,  Much  Swollen 
From  the  Poison  He  Had  Taken. 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

the  darkness  was  starred  by  electricity  as  the  cur- 
rent reached  the  arcs  that  light  this  beautiful  city. 
Then  I  turned  and  walked  back  to  the  hotel,  ac- 
knowledging the  pleasant  greeting  of  Mr.  Brown  as 
I  entered  the  dining  room. 

Shortly  after  dinner  Mr.  Pennaman  called  for  a 
consultation  with  respect  to  the  disposition  of  the 
body  of  Booth.  The  first  conclusion  reached  was  to 
perfectly  preserve  the  body,  if  it  could  be  done, 
which  was  much  doubted  by  the  embalmer,  Mr. 
Ryan,  though  he  promised  that  his  best  efforts 
would  be  put  forth  to  this  end.  The  only  defect  at 
that  time  existing  was  a  small  black  splotch  on  the 
right  cheek  just  under  the  eye,  which  was  puzzling 
the  undertaker,  who  said  it  might  be  due  to  coagu- 
lated blood,  which  would  be  a  bad  sign ;  then,  again, 
the  same  condition  might  be  brought  about  by  the 
large  amount  of  poison  taken,  which  might  or  might 
not  be  conducive  to  the  preservation  of  the  body. 

This  question  being  settled,  the  second  proposi- 
tion was  likewise  disposed  of  by  Mr.  Pennaman,  at 
my  suggestion  agreeing  to  take  out  letters  of  ad- 
ministration on  the  estate  of  the  dead  man,  which 

277 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES   BOOTH. 

would  include  the  body,  and  this  he  did.  Mr.  Ryan 
immediately  left  us  to  begin  his  efforts  at  absolute 
preservation  of  the  body. 

Mr.  Pennaman  remained  with  me,  going  to  the 
depot  and  saying  good-bye.  For,  my  mission  being 
now  completed,  I  paid  the  bill  of  Charles  O'Connor 
of  New  York  and  took  the  *bus  for  the  depot.  On 
arriving  at  the  depot  we  found  the  train  would 
be  on  time,  in  fact,  over  the  undulating  prairie  the 
beacon  light  of  the  engine  could  be  seen  rising  like 
a  star  above  the  horizon;  it  grew  larger  and  larger, 
then  rushed  onward  until  the  ponderous  engine  and 
heavy  train  slowed  down  to  stop  at  the  station.  Un- 
like the  Arab,  I  did  not  fold  my  tent  and  quietly  steal 
away,  but  boldly  took  the  southbound  cannon  ball 
of  the  Rock  Island.  On  this  train  there  was  much 
discussion  of  the  tragic  affair  at  Enid;  every  pas- 
senger had  his  or  her  own  theory  as  to  the  suicide 
and  proper  identity  of  David  E.  George,  while  some 
wise  men  asserted  that  it  was  all  a  fake  on  the  part 
of  the  citizens  of  Enid  to  advertise  that  little  town 
and  let  the  world  know  there  was  such  a  place. 
These  and  kindred  expressions  were  heard  on  all 

278 


THESE  AEE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

sides.  There  was  an  old  man  on  the  car  who  had 
evidently  belonged  to  the  Federal  army,  for  I  over- 
heard him  saying  something  about  belonging  to 
post  so-and-so  of  the  G.  A.  R.'s,  a  man  who  had  dis- 
tinguished himself,  in  my  mind,  for  having  more 
brains  and  less  tongue  than  the  majority  of  the 
others.  He  said :  ' '  Well,  boys,  if  the  man  who  killed 
himself  at  Enid  is  Booth,  he  has  not  yet  been  so 
identified,  and  it 's  reported  that  he  left  considerable 
of  an  estate,  and  judging  others  by  myself,  I  would 
say,  if  he  had  been  a  dear,  misguided  dead  relative 
of  mine,  with  an  estate  of  thirty  or  forty  thousand 
dollars,  I  surely  would  have  looked  him  up  and  been 
chief  mourner,  and  shed  tears  like  our  crocodiles 
on  a  sandbar  in  the  sunlight  of  an  August  midday 
on  a  Southern  beach.  My  sorrow  would  have  found 
vent  like  unto  the  sound  of  foghorns  at  sea.  Then, 
too,  I  would  not  have  been  particular  as  to  the  char- 
acter^ or  appearance  of  my  very  dear  relative,  the 
main  point  being  was  he  dead,  very  dead;  did  he 
haver  the  property  and  was  it  mine.  Then,  too,  I 
understand  that  this  man  confessed  to  his  identity 
as  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and  that  he  has  never  been 

279 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

identified  as  David  E.  George,  therefore  he  must  be 
John  Wilkes  Booth,  for  in  God's  name  what  had  this 
man  to  gain  by  such  a  confession?  Could  it  add  to 
his  pleasures,  or  could  it  profit  the  dead?  And 
since  by  his  own  hand  he  died,  notoriety  could  not 
have  been  his  purpose.  No.  For  what  good  does 
notoriety  do  the  dead?  No,  as  to  me,  I  had  rather 
be  a  living  private  than  a  dead  general. ' ' 

What  this  old  man  said  put  me  to  thinking,  look- 
ing for  the  motive  a  man  could  have  in  taking  his 
own  life  and  the  confession  of  a  crime  on  his  dying 
bed  which  he  did  not  commit,  which  could  only 
bring  upon  him  the  contempt  and  condemnation  of 
all  men.  On  the  other  hand,  if  this  man  had  been 
George,  the  fake,  it  would  have  been  his  glory  to 
have  impersonated  Booth  while  he  lived,  to  have 
masqueraded  as  a  notorious  murderer,  that  he  might 
have  enjoyed  while  he  lived  a  character  akin  to  the 
village  bully,  the  red-eyed-gentleman-from-Bitter- 
Creek  style,  a  personal  character  usually  as  cowardly 
as  it  is  contemptible.  And  today  I  find  no  reason 
so  satisfactory  to  nature  as  that  Booth,  burdened 
with  the  crime  he  had  committed,  conscience- 

280 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

whipped  and  at  bay,  ended  his  life  by  his  own  hand, 
willing  that  his  taking  away  should  be  deliberate, 
that  he  should  yet  have  time  and  opportunity  to 
confess  his  crime;  for  I  can  conceive  the  horror  of 
men  who  die  without  the  opportunity  to  confess,  for 
remember  we  have  prayed  from  our  infancy  up,  "De- 
liver us  from  sudden  death." 

The  man  who  commits  suicide  does  so  from  a  mo- 
tive, for  a  purpose,  being  insane  does  not  change  the 
purpose,  the  motive,  death  preferred,  superinduced 
by  sorrow  of  heart  or  insanity  of  mind  or  a  desire  to 
die  as  a  punishment  to  one's  self,  or  in  reparation 
of  our  wrongs  to  others. 

Who  can  so  well  take  his  own  life  as  the  man  who 
takes  the  life  of  another-  by  assassination  ?  It  is  the 
man  of  deliberation  who  assassinates.  It  is  the  man 
of  deliberation  who  suicides.  The  acts  are  kindred 
of  purpose — the  immediate  taking  of  life  by  vio- 
lence, premeditated  and  deliberate  as  a  wicked  and 
depraved  purpose,  or  for  a  wrong,  imaginary  or  real, 
by  the  assassin. 

281 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

In  truth  it  can  be  said  that  the  man  who  sheds 
blood  with  the  assassin's  hand,  by  his  own  hand  his 
own  blood,  will  most  likely  be  shed. 

"While  on  our  train  plunged  as  if  mad  with  fright, 
the  engine  with  her  five-foot  driving  wheels  meas- 
ured the  length  of  her  burden  over  tracks  of  steel 
on  time  that  must  soon  land  us  at  El  Reno.  Then 
I  felt  the  pulsation  of  lessening  momentum,  I  heard 
the  signal  cry  of  the  air  brakes,  the  touch  of  assum- 
ing power  and  the  echo  of  the  wings  of  the  wind  as 
they  wound  us  within  their  folds,  when  motionless 
we  stood,  while  the  engine  was  throbbing  with  its 
pent-up  power  and  hissing  from  its  cylinder  heads 
as  if  angered  at  this  intrusion  and  delay.  I  looked 
and  we  were  at  El  Reno,  in  the  midnight  hours.  Then 
I  was  off  for  the  Kerfoot  Hotel,  for  a  few  hours  of 
rest. 

I  retired  with  orders  to  be  called  for  a  ten  o  'clock 
breakfast.  Going  upstairs,  I  found  that  by  incident 
I  had  been  given  room  sixty-four,  the  very  one  oc- 
cupied by  George,  or  Booth,  the  greater  part  of  the 
past  two  years,  during  his  residence  at  El  Reno,  he 
having  left  this  very  room  for  Enid  just  forty-one 

282 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WELKES  BOOTH. 

days  before  his  suicide.  Retiring,  tired,  restless, 
worried,  yet  rewarded,  I  pillowed  my  head  with  its 
feverish  brain  to  enter  the  land  of  sleep,  an  exile 
from  the  cares  of  life. 

Rap,  rap,  rap  sounded  on  the  door,  and  I  was 
awake.  The  night  was  gone  and  the  morrow  had 
begun.  First  to  breakfast  and  then  on  the  street 
I  looked  with  interest  on  each  thing  because  it  was 
to  me  a  city  new  and  strange.  Then,  too,  an  addi- 
tional interest  was  lent  because  it  was  the  last  known 
home  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  the  murderer,  the  as- 
sassin of  President  Lincoln.  I  looked  with  wonder 
and  astonishment  at  the  evidence  of  wealth,  civili- 
zation and  refinement  around  me.  I  passed  the 
banks  with  their  hoarded  wealth.  I  passed  the  mer- 
chants who  held  their  wares  behind  plate  glass 
fronts.  I  passed  the  homes  of  the  press,  from  which 
were  issued  the  daily  papers.  I  looked  upward  to 
see  the  towering  churches  and  cathedrals  with  spires 
which  point  to  the  dial  of  heaven,  builded  by  the 
hands  of  reverent  men. 

El  Reno  then  can  not  be  the  home  of  soulless  peo- 
ple, of  murderers  and  assassins  alone,  for  I  met  and 

283 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

intermingled  with  its  people,  its  bankers,  its  mer- 
chants, its  editors  and  its  ministers,  and  all  I  found 
to  be  just,  honorable  and  God-fearing  people,  who 
spurned,  as  you  do,  the  murderer,  and  would  punish 
as  you  would  the  assassin.  Men  who  would  turn 
pale  and  women  become  agitated  at  the  realization 
that  they,  in  fact,  had  known  am?  associated  with 
John  Wilkes  Booth  for  more  than  two  years  without 
ever  knowing  his  identity. 

I  shall  never  forget  my  meeting  with  Mr.  Grant, 
then  the  proprietor,  publisher  and  editor  of  the  Re- 
publican, a  daily  paper  of  El  Reno,  who  when  I 
called  on  him,  requested  to  see  my  pictures  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  and  who  recognized  them  to  be  like- 
nesses of  David  E.  George.  When  told  that  George 
was,  in  fact,  John  Wilkes  Booth,  Mr.  Grant  expressed 
great  astonishment  and  indignation  at  the  idea  that 
George  could  possibly  have  been  John  Wilkes  Booth. 
Finally,  putting  his  head  forward  for  a  moment,  as 
if  in  thought,  he  said:  "I  tell  you  what  I  will  do. 
If  you  will  go  with  me  to  the  El  Reno  State  Bank 
and  show  these  pictures  to  Mr.  Bellamy,  one  of  the 
officers  of  that  bank,  and  when  you  show  the  pic- 

284 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

tures  to  him  don't  say  who  they  are,  and  if  he  recog- 
nizes them,  as  I  have  done,  as  being  true  likenesses 
of  David  E.  George,  then  I  am  ready  to  admit  that 
John  Wilkes  Booth,  the  assassin  of  President  Lin- 
coln, has  been  a  citizen  of  our  town  in  the  person  of 
David  E.  George." 

His  proposition  was  accepted,  and  over  to  the  bank 
we  went,  some  few  blocks  away.  Walking  to  the 
desk  of  Mr.  Bellamy,  I  was  properly  introduced  and 
handed  him  the  tintype  picture  which  St.  Helen  had 
left  with  me  in  Texas,  as  well  as  the  photographs 
which  had  been  taken  for  the  identification  of  D. 
E.  George  as  Booth.  On  handing  the  pictures  to 
Mr.  Bellamy  I  asked  him,  "Who  is  this  man  in  the 
picture?"  Without  hesitation  he  replied,  "Why, 
this  is  David  E.  George  in  his  younger  days. ' '  Then 
followed  the  recognition  of  the  pictures  as  those  of 
David  E.  George  by  the  other  officers  and  employes 
of  this  and  other  banks,  as  has  been  heretofore  men- 
tioned. 

Mr.  Grant  accepted  the  situation  and  said,  with 
some  emotion,  "I  shall  write  this  matter  up  fully  in 

285 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

my  paper  tomorrow  morning."  Whether  the  publi- 
cation was  ever  made  I  am  not  advised. 

I  next  found  myself  with  Mr.  Hennley,  owner,  ed- 
itor and  publisher  of  the  Daily  Democrat,  of  El 
Reno,  who  had  known  David  E.  George  well,  and 
readily  identified  him  from  the  pictures  which  I 
have  just  mentioned  as  having  been  identified  by 
Mr.  Grant,  Mr.  Bellamy  and  others. 

The  city  editor  of  the  Democrat,  a  gentleman 
whose  name  I  believe  was  Brown,  and  who  had  re- 
moved to  El  Reno  from  some  "Western  city  a  short 
time  before  to  enter  the  employment  of  Mr.  Henn- 
ley, became  interested  in  our  conversation  and  was 
handed  the  pictures  by  Mr.  Hennley.  He  instantly 
said: 

"I  never  saw  David  E.  George,  and  I  know  noth- 
ing of  him,  but  these  are  the  pictures  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth." 

"Did  you  know  John  "Wilkes  Booth  personally?" 
I  asked  him. 

"I  did,  and  I  knew  him  well,  personally  and  on 
the  stage.  I  regarded  him  as  the  greatest  actor  of 
his  day  on  the  American  stage,  and  never  missed  an 

286 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES   BOOTH. 

opportunity  to  see  him.  I  saw  him  and  heard  him 
m  Baltimore  and  New  York  often,  and  in  Washing- 
ton also,  where  I  was  connected  with  the  Federal 
army,  and  saw  him  on  the  streets,  frequently  meet- 
ing him  and  speaking  with  him  as  a  personal  ac- 
quaintance. I  remember  that  I  saw  him  for  the  last 
time  on  the  street  only  a  short  time  before  the  as- 
sassination. I  also  know  other  members  of  the 
Booth  family  and  could  not  be  mistaken  about  this 
picture. 

' '  I  was  in  Washington  City  at  the  time  of  the  as- 
sassination and  later,  when  the  body  of  the  man 
claimed  to  be  Booth  was  brought  there,  and  owing 
to  the  secrecy  and  the  mysterious  manner  of  handling 
that  body  after  it  reached  Washington  there  was 
a  belief,  quite  general  among  the  members  of  the 
Federal  army  with  whom  I  came  in  contact,  that  the 
body  held  was  not  that  of  John  Wilkes  Booth.  These 
recent  developments  in  the  discovery  and  identifica- 
tion of  John  Wilkes  Booth  have  been  no  surprise 
to  me." 

I  next  went  to  the  Anstien  Hotel  and  met  the  pro- 
prietors of  this  house,  where  David  E.  George  first 

287 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

put  up  on  moving  to  El  Reno.  On  showing  the  pic- 
tures to  them  they  at  once  identified  them  in  the 
following  authentic  manner: 

"El  Reno,  Oklahoma  Territory,  Jan.  23d,  1903. 
"To  Whom  it  May  Concern:  We,  N.  J.  Anstien 
and  G.  F.  Anstien,  proprietors  of  the  Anstien  Hotel, 
situated  in  the  city  of  El  Reno,  after  examination 
of  the  tintype  picture  and  photographs  shown  us  by 
F.  L.  Bates,  of  Memphis,  Tenn.,  say  that  the  same 
are  true  and  correct  pictures  of  one  D.  E.  George, 
or  a  man  who  claimed  to  be  of  that  name.  This  man, 
George,  boarded  at  this  hotel  for  a  long  time.  We 
knew  him  well,  and  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce 
the  pictures  shown  us  to  be  those  of  this  man,  and 
we  fully  corroborate  the  statements  of  Messrs.  Du- 
mont  and  Brown,  as  fully  as  if  incorporated  in  this 

statement. 

(Signed.)  "N.  J.  ANSTIEN. 

"G.  F.  ANSTIEN. 

' '  Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this,  the  23d 
day  of  January,  1903. 

(Signed.)  "FRANK  MEYER. 

(L.  S.)  "Notary  Public. 

"My  commission  expires  6-12-05." 

288 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

The  Messrs.  Anstien  said:  "It  was  plain  to  be 
seen  that  the  man  who  called  himself  George  was 
not  a  painter ;  that,  in  fact,  he  did  not  know  how  to 
properly  mix  paints  or  to  spread  it  after  it  was 
mixed,  but  his  taste  was  good,  his  idea  of  the  ar- 
rangement of  colors  with  respect  to  blending  them 
into  harmony  was  splendid,  and  as  a  paint  talker  he 
was  a  success,  but  as  a  practical  labor  painter  he 
was  a  dismal  failure.  "We  supposed  this  to  be  the 
reason  why  he  did  not  work  at  what  he  claimed  to 
be  his  trade.  Then  there  was  the  further  fact  that 
he  always  had  plenty  of  money  and  was  prompt  at 
the  payment  of  his  bills,  whether  he  worked  or  did 
not  work,  which  made  it  a  matter  that,  in  fact,  did 
not  concern  others. 

"When  George,  or  Booth,  bought  the  cottage  for 
thirty-five  hundred  dollars  he  lacked  a  small  amount 
of  having  enough  money  to  pay  cash  for  it.  He 
came  to  the  office  and  requested  this  amount  as  a 
loan  for  a  few  days.  The  money  was  handed  him 
without  a  question  or  a  note,  and  promptly  on  the 
day  agreed  upon  for  its  return  he  came  in  and  paid 
the  money.  Where  it  came  from  was  a  mystery, 

289 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES   OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

but  that  did  not  concern  us,  so  long  as  he  kept  his 
word.  And  during  the  long  time  that  he  boarded 
at  this  hotel  he  met  all  his  bills  with  equal  prompt- 
ness and  satisfaction.  He  was  regarded  as  the  soul 
of  honor  by  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact, 
personally  or  in  a  business  way,  and  while  he  was 
queer,  or  what  we  would  commonly  call  cranky," 
and  as  the  elder  man  said,  ' '  always  spouting  poetry, 
everybody  liked  him.  I  told  him  that  he  knew  much 
more  about  Shakespeare  and  other  books  than  he 
did  about  painting  and  paint  brushes. 

"  'If  you  (Mr.  Anstien)  could  spread  and  display 
it  in  certain  places  as  well  as  I  can  you  would  not 
need  to  keep  a  hotel/  Booth  had  replied  on  one  of 
these  occasions.  (Do  you  catch  his  meaning — to 
spread  and  display  paint  on  the  actor?) 

The  elder  Anstien  says  that  "after  these  little  un- 
pleasant sallies,"  Booth  seemed  to  take  a  dislike  to 
him,  which  was  regarded  as  the  principal  reason  for 
his  changing  his  boarding  place. 

The  cottage  which  Booth  bought  was  sold  by  him 
about  a  year  before  he  committed  suicide,  after  he 
went  to  the  Kerfoot  Hotel. 

290 


THESE  ARE  PICTURES  OF  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

There  is  one  fact  that  has  struck  me  with  great 
force  respecting  the  identification  of  Booth,  and 
that  is,  he  affected  the  same  style  of  dress  during  his 
entire  life.  It  will  be  noticed  that  his  dress  at  twen- 
ty-seven, thirty-eight  and  sixty-four  are  practically 
the  same.  He  always  wore  a  black  semi-dress  suit 
style,  of  the  best  fabrics,  always  with  the  turndown 
Byron  collar  and  dark  tie.  His  dress  at  the  time  he 
committed  suicide  was  of  the  same  character,  his 
suit  being  tailormade,  new  and  well  pressed,  his 
pants  well  creased,  his  shoes  new  patent  leather  and 
his  hat  a  new  black  Stetson  derby.  This  style  of 
dress,  it  seems,  being  a  physical  characteristic  of 
John  Wilkes  Booth. 


291 


CHAPTER  XVHI. 

READING  THE  PALM  OF  JOHN 
WILKES  BOOTH. 

After  remaining  in  El  Reno  about  forty-eight 
hours,  having  completed  my  investigation  of  Booth 's 
identity,  I  returned  to  my  home  in  Memphis,  Ten- 
nessee, without  further  incident.  Scarcely  had  I 
reached  home,  however,  when  I  was  recalled  to  Enid 
by  the  administrator  of  Booth's  estate.  On  my  re- 
turn I  found  public  sentiment  in  Enid  much  quieted 
down  and  it  was  no  longer  necessary  for  me  to  im- 
personate the  character  of  another.  I  found  that 
two  men  supposed  to  be  in  the  secret  service  of  the 
United  States  government — which  fact  they  did  not 
deny— had  requested  and  been  permitted  to  view 
the  body  of  Booth.  They  were  provided  with  pic- 
tures of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  which  they  compared 
with  Booth's  body,  and  having  satisfied  themselves 
that  the  body  was  that  of  Booth,  they  appealed  to 
the  Territorial  legal  authorities  to  compel  the  bur- 
ial of  the  body,  without  denying  at  any  time  that 

292 


READING    THE    PALM    OF    JOHN    WILKES    BOOTH. 

the  body  was  that  of  John  Wilkes  Booth.  But  be- 
fore I  reached  Enid  the  matter  had  been  satisfactor- 
ily arranged,  in  what  way  I  did  not  at  that  time 
learn,  and  I  found  the  body  unburied  and  in  a  state 
of  perfect  preservation,  still  being  held  for  further 
identification,  challenging,  as  it  were,  those  in  au- 
thority, or  those  of  contrary  opinion,  to  show  that 
this  body  was  not  that  of  John  Wilkes  Booth. 

During  this  visit  I  learned  that  Mr.  L.  Treadkell, 
who  had  employed  Booth  as  a  teamster,  as  hereto- 
fore mentioned,  was  then  living  within  nine  miles 
of  the  city.  I  at  once  communicated  with  him  and 
he  came  in.  On  being  shown  the  tintype  picture  of 
St.  Helen,  so  often  referred  to,  he  readily  identified 
it  as  the  picture  of  Jesse  Smith,  his  teamster  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year  1867.  He  also  identified  the 
picture  of  Booth  at  the  ages  of  twenty-seven,  thir- 
ty-eight and  sixty-four  as  being  pictures  taken  from 
one  and  the  same  man,  the  only  difference  being  the 
matter  of  age. 

During  this  visit  Bentley  Sage,  the  well  known 
palmist,  made  the  trip  to  Enid  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  examining  the  palms  of  the  now  notorious 

293 


READING    THE    PALM    OF    JOHN    WILKES    BOOTH. 

character,  whose  body  lay  in  the  morgue  at  Enid, 
known  as  George,  and  identified  as  John  Wilkes 
Booth.  The  reading  follows: 

"I  discover  this  hand  to  be  of  the  spatulate  type, 
from  which  I  learn  that  the  subject  was  emotional, 
erratic  and  governed  almost  entirely  by  inspiration. 
Persons  who  have  this  hand  are  controlled  by  im- 
pulse and  are  carried  to  extremes  by  the  impressions 
of  the  instant.  They  are  what  science  might  term 
impractical.  Of  bright  purpose  and  brilliant  prom- 
ise, they  almost  invariably  fail  to  materialize  their 
ideas.  They  are  etherial  and  poetic.  Their  hopes  are 
rarely  fulfilled  and  they  are  not  only  a  disappoint- 
ment to  themselves,  but  they  disappoint  their 
friends  by  their  failure  to  accomplish  the  real  and 
material  things  of  useful  and  practical  life. 

' '  This  subject  was  no  exception.  His  intellect  was 
keen  and  wide  awake  and  took  in  the  details  and 
peculiarities  of  everything  he  saw,  but  he  lacked  the 
faculty  of  applying  his  mind  toward  the  execution 
of  his  ideas.  Like  all  those  of  a  spatulate  type,  his 
vivid  reason  was  the  admiration  of  his  associates, 

294 


READING    THE   PALM   OF    JOHN   WILKES    BOOTH. 

because  of  his  effervescent  enthusiasm  and  opti- 
mism, but  he  never  came  down  to  earth  from  the 
heights  of  imagination,  and  remained  pleasure-lov- 
ing* jovial  and  incomprehensible,  was  subject  to 
moods  of  melancholy  and  morbidness.  These  latter 
characteristics,  however,  belong  to  those  of  the 
spatulate  type.  It  is  the  non-fruition  of  hope  to 
which  this  moodiness  is  due  in  the  spatulate  hand. 
It  is  the  sensitive  hand  that  is  easily  repulsed,  espe- 
cially is  this  true  of  this  individual  hand.  He  was  re- 
pelled by  a  gross  nature,  but  still  he  had  a  large 
faculty  for  friendship  and  a  strong  desire  for  intel- 
lectual and  genial  companionship. 

"Let  it  be  understood  that  the  foregoing  is  a 
study  of  the  whole  hand,  which,  owing  to  its  peculiar 
class,  being  that  of  the  spatulate,  is  weak  in  many 
respects.  In  order  to  correctly  understand  through- 
out the  balance  of  this  disquisition  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  take  the  hand  in  subdivisions  and  describe 
each  division. 

"I  will  begin  with  the  thumb,  which  is  of  unusual 
length.  All  thumbs  show  the  possession  of  or  lack 

295 


READING    THE    PALM    OF    JOHN    WILKES    BOOTH. 

of  leadership,  will  power,  control,  integrity,  reason- 
ing, planning,  logic  and  stability. 

"In  this  thumb  I  find  a  man  of  unbending  nature, 
one  who  is  set  in  his  opinions  and  ideas,  and  one 
whom  facts  impress  strongly,  but  who  did  not  ana- 
lyze them  carefully,  generally  depending  on  obser- 
vation and  the  acts  of  others.  At  the  base  of  the 
thumb  is  the  mount  of  Venus — Venus  was  the 
mother  of  Love — Venus  indicates  the  desires  of  life 
acting  upon  the  line  of  heart.  His  mount  being  full 
and  broad  at  the  base,  indicates  the  emotional  and 
sentimental.  The  mount  of  Jupiter  at  the  base  of 
the  index  finger  shows  pride,  ambition  and  self- 
esteem.  This  man  had  great  ambition  and  great 
aspirations.  He  was  sensitive  to  a  fault,  and  the 
crosses  and  triangles  found  upon  this  mount  indi- 
cate that  his  ambitions  were  never  realized.  His 
life  was  materially  affected  by  disappointments  and 
hopes  that  were  never  realized.  At  the  base  of  the 
second  finger  is  the  mount  of  Saturn,  which  indi- 
cates the  talents  and  gifts  of  the  individual.  His 
would  have  been  literature,  music,  art  and  imitat- 
ing. Being  full  of  inspiration  he  could  have  devel- 

296 


READING    THE    PALM    OF    JOHN    WILKES    BOOTH. 

oped  the  talents  of  art  and  imitating  which,  together 
with  an  entertaining  disposition  and  gestures  that 
were  smooth  and  appropriate,  he  possessed  the  fac- 
ulty of  making  every  movement  pleasant  to  those 
in  his  society.  He  was  a  man  of  elegance  and  charm. 

"The  mount  of  Apollo,  located  at  the  base  of 
the  ring  finger,  indicates  the  success  of  past,  present 
and  future,  and  in  this  particular  case  I  find  the 
mount  to  be  undeveloped,  showing  that  he  had  not 
reached  the  height  of  his  ambitions,  and  showing 
that  he  had  lived  under  many  heavy  strains,  due  to 
past  failures  and  excitements. 

'The  mount  of  Mercury  at  the  base  of  the  little 
finger  indicates  the  domestic  nature  of  the  individ- 
ual. This  man  was  loyal  to  true  companionship,  but 
he  could  love  but  one. 

' '  The  line  of  heart  at  the  base  of  the  fingers,  start- 
ing at  the  index  finger,  signifies  marvelous  powers 
of  the  occult  and  spiritual  intuitions.  It  also  indi- 
cates honor,  wisdom  and  tender  devotion,  and  in 
this  case  proves  one  worthy  of  nature's  divinest 
gifts.  His  head  line  turns  quickly  downward  across 
the  line  of  destiny  into  the  regions  of  harmony,  imi- 

297 


READING    THE    PALM    OF    JOHN    WILKES    BOOTH. 

tation  and  romance,  showing  him  to  be  of  a  senti- 
mental and  impractical  nature.  The  line  of  life  indi- 
cated around  the  base  of  the  thumb,  which  is  clear 
and  well  defined,  shows  he  would  have  lived  to  reach 
a  ripe  old  age  under  favorable  circumstances.  In 
the  illustration  of  this  hand  is  shown  many  fine 
lines  spraying  downward  from  the  life  line,  which 
denotes  loss  of  vitality  and  mental  force.  And  the 
end  of  the  line  turning  upward  to  the  region  of  vi- 
tality is  a  fatal  sign  with  serious  reverses  in  health. 
From  the  location  and  broken  line  of  the  face  he 
appears  to  have  been  a  person  during  his  life  who 
nad  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  went  through  many 
trying  experiences,  and  who  could  not  rely  upon 
friends  for  help,  but  who  had  to  shape  his  own 
career. 

"The  most  interesting  element  in  the  study  of 
palmistry  is  that  of  dates  at  which  important  events 
in  the  life  of  the  individual  have  taken  place,  or  may 
be  expected  to  take  place.  And  in  the  reading  of 
this  hand,  to  go  into  all  of  the  events  of  his  past  life 
would  take  more  than  three  pages  of  this  paper, 
for  under  favorable  conditions  he  would  have  lived 
to  a  ripe  old  age." 

298 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

JOSEPH  JEFFERSON   IDENTIFIES  JOHN 
WILKES  BOOTH. 

Being  a  constant  attendant  at  the  theaters  at  El 
Reno,  Enid,  Oklahoma  City  and  Guthrie  in  the  early 
part  of  December,  1900,  Booth  was  much  struck  by 
the  genius  of  the  leading  lady  of  one  of  the  com- 
panies then  playing  in  these  towns,  beginning  at 
Enid.  In  fact,  Booth  regarded  her  as  a  genius  and 
sought  an  introduction  through  her  manager,  claim- 
ing at  the  time  to  be  a  correspondent  of  the  Dra- 
matic Mirror  of  New  York,  and  giving  his  name  as 
J.  L.  Harris.  This  young  lady  is  a  woman  of  the 
highest  type  and  character,  and  finally  the  relation 
of  pupil  and  instructor  was  established  between 
them,  Booth,  the  supposed  correspondent,  going 
with  the  company  from  Enid  to  El  Eeno,  Guthrie 
and  Oklahoma  City  for  the  purpose  of  coaching, 
watching  and  training  the  young  actress  after  his 
own  peculiar  manner  of  acting.  Being  satisfied  .vith 

299 


JOSEPH  JEFFERSON  IDENTIFIES  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

the  capability  of  this  actress  Booth,  or  Harris,  as  he 
was  known  to  her,  made  her  a  proposition,  saying 
that  he  (Harris)  was  writing  a  play  to  be  put  on 
the  stage  for  the  seasons  of  1903  and  1904,  entitled 
"A  Life  Within  the  Shadow  of  Sin"  (Booth's  life), 
and  desired  that  she,  the  actress  of  his  choice,  should 
play  the  leading  role  in  the  presentation  of  this 
play,  and  that  he  himself  would  take  an  active  part, 
as  manager  and  actor.  This  agreement  having  been 
reached,  preparations  were  being  made  in  1902  for 
the  proper  staging  and  putting  this  play  before  the 
American  people,  but  some  imforseen  occurrence 
over  which  neither  of  them  had  control  rendered  it 
impossible  to  put  the  play  on  for  the  season  of 
1903-4.  This  was  learned  and  understood  between 
them  through  correspondence,  and  the  matter  was  then 
given  no  further  consideration.  Mention  is  made  of. 
this  fact  to  show  the  bent  and  inclination  of  George, 
Booth  or  Harris,  the  actor,  and  as  a  further  incident 
in  the  identification  of  Booth. 

Believing  that  if  any  living  man  would  recognize 
John  Wilkes  Booth  from  the  tintype  picture  of  John 
St.  Helen  that  man  would  be  Joseph  Jefferson,  of 

300 


JOSEPH  JEFFERSON  IDENTIFIES  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

whom  I  hail  heard  St.  Helen  so  often  speak  when 
discussing  the  successful  peoples  of  the  stage,  and 
I  sought  this  best  authority  at  the  first  opportune 
time.  Mr.  Jefferson,  who  had  known  John  Wilkes 
Booth  since  his  boyhood  and  from  the  time  Booth 
first  went  on  the  stage  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  was 
in  the  same  stock  company  with  him.  Among  the 
members  of  this  company  being  Mr.  Jefferson,  Ed- 
ward Adams  and  John  Wilkes  Booth,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  playing  Hamlet,  Mr.  Adams  playing 
Laertes,  and  Mr.  Joseph  Jefferson,  then  being 
twenty-nine  years  of  age  and  playing  the  grave  dig- 
ger. Learning  that  Mr.  Joseph  Jefferson  was  play- 
ing in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  that  the  next  day 
he  would  reach  Memphis,  together  with  his  com- 
pany for  the  same  purpose,  I  wired  him  at  Nash- 
ville for  an  interview  on  his  arrival  in  Memphis, 
which  was  accorded  me.  And  as  per  arrangement 
I  called  on  Mr.  Jefferson  at  the  Gayoso  Hotel,  in  the 
city  of  Memphis,  on  the  14th  day  of  April,  1903, 
just  thirty-eight  years  to  the  day  from  the  assassi- 
nation of  President  Lincoln.  We  had  a  long  and 
most  interesting  interview,  and  when  I  handed  Mr. 

301 


JOSEPH  JEFFERSON  IDENTIFIES  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

Jefferson  the  tintype  picture,  so  often  mentioned 
herein  and  recogniezd  as  John  Wilkes  Booth,  he 
took  the  picture  in  his  hand,  saying: 

"This  is  John  Wilkes  Booth,  if  John  Wilkes 
Booth  was  living  when  this  picture  was  taken. ' '  He 
continued  to  hold  the  picture  in  his  hand  and  in 
front  of  his  eyes  during  the  entire  interview,  which 
lasted  more  than  two  hours.  I  should  not  say,  and  do 
not  mean  to  convey  the  idea  that  Mr.  Jefferson  kept 
the  picture  constantly  before  his  eyes,  but  that  he 
held  it  the  entire  time,  making  long  studied  examina- 
tions of  it  during  the  interview  and  finally  said : 

"This,  sir,  I  should  say,  is  John  Wilkes  Booth,  but 
he  is  older  than  when  I  saw  him  last.  I  have  not 
seen  him  since  a  short  time  before  he  killed  President 
Lincoln,  at  which  time  I  think  he  was  about  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age."  After  this  Mr.  Jefferson  gave 
me  the  history  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  from  his  boy- 
hood up  as  well  as  the  history  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth's  entire  family.  And  in  this  connection  as  a 
matter  of  history  I  deem  it  my  duty  to  say  that  I 
was  impressed  with  the  idea  that  Mr.  Jefferson  was 
by  no  means  surprised  to  see  a  picture  of  John 

302 


JOSEPH  JEFFERSON  IDENTIFIES  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH 

Wilkes  Booth  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight,  and  gave 
expression  to  no  more  surprise  than  to  ask,  "Where 
did  you  get  it?"  My  explanation  to  that  inquiry, 
which  was  quite  extended,  was  listened  to  with 
seeming  great  interest  and  approval  by  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son. 


303 


CHAPTER  XX. 

JUNIUS  BRUTUS  BOOTH  IDENTIFIES  HIS 
UNCLE,  JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

While  Mr.  Junius  Brutus  Booth  was  in  the  city  of 
Memphis,  playing  an  engagement  at  the  Lyceum 
Theater  in  support  of  Mrs.  Brune,  I  sought  an  intro- 
duction to  him,  and  by  pre-arrangement  was  ac- 
corded an  interview  at  my  office,  which  lasted  for 
several  hours,  being  of  much  interest  to  myself  as 
well  as  Mr.  Booth.  At  this  meeting,  because  of  my 
former  meeting  and  friendship  for  and  close  associ- 
ation with  John  St.  Helen,  I  was  enabled  to  recount 
to  him  much  of  the  private  history  of  the  Booth 
family,  which  was  enjoyed  by  Mr.  Booth  with  an 
interest  equalled  only  by  his  astonishment. 

After  conversing  with  Mr.  Booth  for  some  mo- 
ments I  handed  him  the  now  famous  tintype  of  John 
St.  Helen  and  asked  him  • 
is  this  man?" 

304 


JUNIUS   BRUTUS   BOOTH   IDENTIFIES    HIS   UNCLE, 

Mr.  Booth  took  the  picture,  held  it  in  his  hand 
several  minutes,  looked  at  it  critically,  walked  over 
to  the  window  to  get  a  better  light  on  it  and  looked 
at  it  long  and  earnestly,  finally  to  my  intense  sur- 
prise he  suddenly  exclaimed,  wringing  his  hands  in 
grief  and  excitement: 

"Was  my  father's  confidence  in  me  a  lie,  and  did 
he  indeed,  die  with  the  secret  that  my  uncle  still 
lived  untold  on  his  lips?" 

After  several  minutes  he  controlled  himself  with 
great  effort  and  said  to  me : 

"This  is  a  picture  of  my  uncle,  John  Wilkes,  Mr. 
Bates,  and  the  best  one  of  him  that  I  have  ever  seen. 
There  is  much  that  I  want  to  say  to  you,  many  ques- 
tions I  must  have  answered,  but  this  discovery  has 
so  astounded  and  shocked  me  that  I  must  leave  you 
now.  I  want  to  talk  the  whole  matter  over  with  my 
wife,  who  is  with  me  in  this  city.  She  will  under- 
stand me  and  my  feeling  in  this  matter.  To  have  so 
nearly  met  my  uncle,  and  to  find  that  he  has  been 
dead  less  than  a  month  is  very  distressing." 

Being  again  overcome  by  his  feelings,  Mr.  Booth 
ended  the  interview,  we  separating  with  the  promise 
to  meet  again  the  next  morning. 

The  following  morning  promptly  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Booth  walked  into  my  office.  "We 
talked  long  and  earnestly.  I  told  him  again  the 

305 


JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

story  of  John  St.  Helen's  long  life  in  the  West,  of 
the  story  he  had  told  me  of  himself,  his  crime, 
and  his  wanderings.  Mr.  Booth  listened,  intensely 
interested,  with  excitement  and  often  with  tears  in 
his  eyes,  to  the  ricital,  for  the  first  time  hearing  the 
whole  story,  just  twenty-eight  days  after  the  self- 
inflicted  death  of  the  uncle  whom  he  had  never  seen, 
and  had  always  believed  to  have  been  killed  years 
before  by  Boston  Corbett. 

After  much  further  conversation  Mr.  Booth  re- 
quested me  to  call  a  stenographer,  that  he  might 
furnish  me  a  voluntary  statement  of  identification  of 
the  picture  as  John  Wilkes  Booth.  I  called  Miss  F. 
,Wolf,  who  took  down  the  following  interview,  which 
was  signed  and  delivered  to  me  by  Mr.  Booth,  whom 
I  count  it  a  pleasure  and  a  privilege  to  have  met, 
and  shall  remember  with  great  kindness. 

MR.  BOOTH'S  VOLUNTARY  STATEMENT  OF 

IDENTIFICATION. 

"Mr.  F.  L.  Bates :  'I  hand  you,  Mr.  Junius  Brutus 
Booth,  a  tintype  picture  which  was  taken  at  Glenrose 
Mills,  Hood  county,  Texas,  on  or  about  June,  1877, 
and  which  was  handed  to  me  by  one  John  St.  Helen, 
as  a  means  of  at  some  future  time  identifying  John 
Wilkes  Booth.  Will  you  kindly  examine  this  picture, 
and  in  your  own  way  identify  the  same?" 

306 


JUNIUS   BRUTUS  BOOTH  IDENTIFIES  HIS   UNCLE, 

"I,  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  of  the  city  of  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  recognize  the  likeness  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth,  not  only  in  comparison  with  other  photo- 
graphs and  pictures  of  said  John  Wilkes  Booth,  but 
I  can  also  trace  a  strong  family  resemblance  and  a 
likeness  to  different  members  of  my  family  in  the 
said  tintype. 

"I  am  the  oldest  son  of  John  Wilkes'  brother, 
Junius  Brutus  Booth,  was  born  in  Boston  January 
6th,  1868.  Those  now  living  having  any  direct  re- 
lation to  John  Wilkes  Booth  are  first,  myself  and  my 
brother,  Syndey  Booth,  16  Grammercy  Park,  New 
York;  Creston  Clarke,  16  Grammercy  Park,  New 
York;  Wilfred  Clarke,  New  York;  Dollie  Clarke 
Morgan,  Vendome  Hotel,  New  York;  Adrienne 
Clarke,  Brighton,  England,  children  of  Asia  Booth, 
the  sister  of  John  Wilkes.  Marion  Booth,  daugh- 
ter of  Junius  Brutus,  said  John  Wilkes '  brother,  also 
being  my  half  sister,  New  York. 

"The  family  of  John  Wilkes  Booth's  father, 
Junius  Brutus  Booth,  the  elder,  and  his  wife,  Mary 
Booth,  consisted  of  my  father,  Junius  Brutus  Booth 
the  eldest,  Rosalie  Booth,  Asia  Booth,  Edwin  Thomas 
Booth  and  Joseph  Adrian  Booth.  Subsequent  or 
prior  to  my  father's  birth  there  was  another  son, 
who  died  in  infancy. 

307 


JOHN  WILKES  BOOTH. 

< 

"The  Clarkes  mentioned  are  connected  with  John 
Wilkes  Booth  by  the  marriage  of  his  sister,  Asia 
Booth,  to  John  Sleeper  Clarke. 

(Signed)    "JUNIUS  BRUTUS  BOOTH." 

"Witness:  F.  L.  BATES." 

"I,  a  stenographer,  wrote  the  above  on  the  type- 
writer at  the  dictation  of  one  signing  himself  as 
above,  Junius  Brutus  Booth. 

(Signed)    "MISS  F.  WOLF." 

"Personally  appeared  before  me,  a  notary  public 
in  and  for  the  county  of  Shelby  and  State  of  Ten- 
nessee, Miss  F.  Wolf,  who  after  being  duly  sworn, 
made  oath  that  she  was  the  stenographer  who  wrote 
this  hereto  attached  typewritten  instrument  at  the 
dictation  of  one  who  signed  himself  as  above,  Junius 
Brutus  Booth. 

"Signed  at  Memphis  on  this  21st  day  of  February, 
1903. 

"H.  C.  SHELTON, 
"Notary  Public,  Shelby  County,  Tennessee." 

Mr.  Junius  Brutus  Booth  is  the  oldest  living 
nephew  of  John  Wilkes  Booth. 

By  the  authority  of  these  identifications  of  the  tin- 
type picture  of  John  St.  Helen  as  being  that  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth  by  his  nephew,  Junius  Brutus  Booth, 
and  the  late  Joseph  Jefferson,  the  veteran  actor  and 
the  world  renowned  Rip  Van  Winkle,  supplemented 

308 


JUNIUS   BRUTUS   BOOTH  IDENTIFIES   HIS   UNCLE, 

with  the  evidences  contained  in  this  book,  I  an- 
nounce it  as  a  physical  fact  that  John  Wilkes  Booth 
was  not  killed  on  the  26th  day  of  April,  1865,  at  the 
Garrett  home  in  Virginia,  but  that  he  escaped,  spent 
a  roving  life  in  exile,  principally  in  the  western 
part  of  the  United  States  of  America,  and  died  by 
his  own  hand,  a  suicide,  at  Enid,  Oklahoma  Terri- 
tory, on  the  morning  of  the  14th  day  of  January, 
1903,  at  the  hour  of  6:30  o'clock  a.m. 

And  thus  the  story  of  the  life  and  fate  of  John 
Wilkes  Booth,  the  assassin  of  President  Abraham 
Lincoln,  is  told. 


FINIS. 


309 


tuuon. 

DID  BOOTH   ESCAPE  AFTER 

LINCOLN'S!  ASSASSINATION? 

Regarding  the  rumor  that  John 
Wilkes  Booth  escaped  death  after 
Lincoln's  assassination. 

When   I   was     in     Oklahoma     City 
some  twenty  years  ago,  a  gambler  by  j 
the   name  of  R.  L.  George  died  and  | 
papers  were  found  in  his  possession  \ 
which   might  lead   one  to  believe   he  ! 
was  Booth.     In  any  case  he  had  been  | 
in  close  touch   with  members  of  the  I 
ex-Confederate     Cabinet     and  letters 
were  discovered  showing  that  at  dif- 
ferent  times    he    had   received    large 
sums  from  men  prominent  during  the 
life  of  the  Confederacy. 

This  same  R.  L».  George  ran  a 
gambling  house  in  San  Antonio, 
Texas,  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
was  tangled  up  in  varied  and  numer- 
ous gun-battles. 

Secret  service  men  investigated 
the  rumor  at  the  time  of  George's 
death  and  reported  it  as  a  false  lead, 
but  I  do  know  that  all  sources  of  in- 
formation were  suddenly  shut  off  and 
the  body  disposed  of  muy  pronto. 

Two  years  ago  I  was  in  south 
Maryland,  and  talked  to  many  old- 
timers  who  know  Booth,  Mrs.  Cassatt 
and  others  .implicated  in  the  escape 
of  Booth.  I  visited  Dent's  meadows 
where  he  made  the  crossing-  to  Per- 


simmon Point  across  the  Po 
There  seems  to  be  a  definite  i 
standing  in  that  section  that  th 
killed  >,y  Sgt.  Corbott  near  F 
icksburg  was  not  Booth.  This 
is  hard  to  trace,  ELK  most  rumo 
In  fact  to  this  day  no  one  in 
secti6n  seems  to  want  to  talk 
about  the  matt  r. 

P'ather  Matthews  at  Chapel 
Md.,  whose  father  was  accused 
ing  implicated  in  the  plot,  U 
that  Mrs.  Caasatt  had  ahs* 
nothing  to  do  with  Booth's  t 
but  she  was  convicted  and  1 
because  it  was  proven  th 
changed  horses  at  her  place. 

John   Payne,     of  Washingtoi 
raised    ne.r      Fredericksburg   n 
tells  me  that    it  was     general! 
lieved   tliat  Booth   escaped,  an 
a  negro  was  burned  and  the  i 
te,d  on  his  carcass. 
-     Is     all   hearsay — it  mi 
possible;   to    have    some    « 
the  newspaper  tiles  in  OK 
ami  -jet  the  straight  dope  on  G 
death.      Anyway      his    leg      ha< 
broken  in  the  same  place  as  I 
--his    :ii>pe;ir;incc    tallied — lette 
dicated  he  was  Booth — and  MUI 
put   the  «oft     pedal     tip     the 
mie-bty  quick.     Take,  "jit"  for  wl 
worth. 

Gently  Booth  v 

H^was  supposedly  .slim    while 

in   a    barn,   the   barn   Burned    a 

us    afterwar^"   "iclentiliei 

i-rl    A.    Shannon. — In    Adv 

::ine  !'<>r  January. 

PREWELfllOll 


